When Mike LaFleur was being interviewed for the head coaching vacancy with the Arizona Cardinals, the offensive-minded coach first took a look at the quarterback situation.
He saw a QB room of two veteran QBs with Kyler Murray and Jacoby Brissett. After LaFleur took the helm of the team, it was decided to let Murray go and proceed with Brissett. Up next, bring in a seasoned veteran as an experienced backup, and then draft a young buck to develop.
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And away they
went into free agency and the NFL draft.
But an issue arose. Brissett had arrived with Arizona with a two-year deal strictly as Murray’s backup. Brissett has spent the majority of his NFL career as some team’s backup plan. For 2025 and 2026, he was supposed to be the Cardinals’ backup strategy.
Brissett’s deal was for $12.5 for the two years. His cap hit this upcoming season is $9.19 million. With Murray now gone and Brissett being ushered to the podium as the definite starter, he looked around the league and discovered most mid-range starting QBs in the league were making $20+ million a season.
Hell, four starting quarterbacks on their rookie deal were making more than the $9 mil he was slated for, such as Jayden Daniels, C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson, Bryce Young, and Drake Maye.
So, Brissett and his agent decided to ask for a restructured deal to be in line with half the league. In his mind, it doesn’t have to be $60 million like Dak Prescott’s agreement, just something in the middle. Malik Willis signed for $22.5 million a year. That will work. Or maybe Sam Darnold’s $33.5 million a season.
Brissett has made a stand. And perhaps he is correct. Compared to the other starting quarterbacks, he is playing for cheap. Not that he can’t live off of $9 million. He just wants fair compensation for being one of 32 starting signalcallers in the NFL.
The issue here is that LaFleur is new to this team. He wasn’t here last year when Brissett took over for Murray and started 12 games. LaFleur did have a front row seat to see Brissett play live in the 45-17 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 14, as well as the 37-20 defeat to the Rams in Week 18.
In the second game, Brissett brought the Cardinals back with just over three minutes left in the third quarter with a 7-yard TD pass to Josiah Deguara to go up 20-16. Brissett threw for 243 yards but was sacked six times. He threw for 271 yards with two touchdown tosses to WR Michael Wilson in the blowout loss.
So, LaFleur knows who Brissett is and what he can accomplish. The very choice to release Murray, whose final decision was that? The GM? The owner? The OC?
None of the above. LaFleur was brought to the desert to turn this offense around. It’s his duty and job. In all probability, he considered all of the above, but the result was that LaFleur decided to keep Brissett and that Murray would be a distraction if he remained a roster member.
LaFleur chose Brissett as his starting quarterback going forward.
Now that Brissett is not showing up for team activities, how does LaFleur see things going forward? Does he start preparing for backup Gardner Minshew to take over? Perhaps the rookie Carson Beck, whom the franchise spent a valuable third-round draft pick on?
Actually, LaFleur isn’t sweating it.
He was approached by ESPN Arizona about Brissett’s absence:
“Everything’s good from a dialogue standpoint. But like we said, this is voluntary, and so that’s where we’ll leave it.”
Which is true. Every head coach is hopeful that players will want to become involved in every aspect of the upcoming season, but in the case of Brissett, he wants to be paid like a starting NFL quarterback. So, he waits for his agent and GM Monti Ossenfort to work on the numbers.
Technically, Brissett is not holding out. He simply wants a restructured deal. When he signed his two-year contract before last season, it was in the mode of a backup position. Now, the team is depending on him to lead them each and every week.
All LaFleur can do is be patient and know that Brissett isn’t a young kid waiting to be groomed. He has played 10 years in the league and passed for 14,766 yards and tossed 76 touchdowns. LaFleur added:
“He’s played a lot of football, and we’re in communication. He knows what the expectation is.”
Revenge of the Birds recently published an article on the team’s decision to start Brissett despite his wanting more pay and his not showing up for certain team events. So, that decision has already been made. This allows LaFleur and the rest of the offense to gather together as a cohesive group and not wonder who their leader will be.
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That is why LaFleur decided to move on from Murray despite never coaching him. All that would encompass would have been constant questions and drama regarding the quarterback situation. Now, the only question going into this year’s training camp is who will rise to take the backup position.
LaFleur has stated in this weekend’s rookie mini-camp, an event that Brissett wasn’t scheduled to attend, that the process with Brissett is ongoing, and he mentioned the dialogue between the two sides is ongoing.
Next week, the veterans will arrive to continue their offseason program.
One thing was certain from last year: when Brissett was under center, the offense began to click and score points. Pass catchers such as TE Trey McBride and WR Michael Wilson had banner years.
During the offseason, the offensive line has been revamped, stud running back Jeremiyah Love was taken with the third overall draft pick, and receivers Kendrick Bourne and Reggie Virgil have been added.
All this new offense needs is for Brissett to hit the field with LaFleur’s guidance. Hopefully, the contract issue will resolve itself sooner than it drags on.
