The Arizona Cardinals opened their first Organized Team Activities (OTAs) of the offseason on May 18 at the Dignity Health Training Center in Tempe, Arizona. This event was labeled as voluntary, but every rostered player was urged and invited to attend.
The most notable player absent was QB Jacoby Brissett, who has stated he wishes to be paid more for a starting NFL quarterback. At no time has Brissett informed the Cardinals that he is officially “holding out,” but so far, the franchise has had two
workout events, and Brissett did not attend either. So, we will see.
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Some other players did not attend, including TE Tip Reiman, RB Trey Benson, LB Baron Browning, DE Josh Sweat, and OT Christian Jones. Players who did show up but did not participate in any drills included DT Walter Nolen, WR Starling Thomas, and RB James Conner.
Brissett is his own agent, so his actions aren’t the result of someone guiding him. He came to the Cardinals before the 2025 season, signing a two-year deal with the idea that he was going to back up starting QB Kyler Murray. Which he did at first.
Essentially, everywhere Brissett has played, he has been the quality backup. Meaning, if the starter became injured for a series or a game or a string of contests, Brissett was able to provide a capable signalcaller until the starter was able to return.
Selected in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft by the New England Patriots, he backed up Jimmy Garoppolo for a year before being traded to the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts sold their fanbase on the notion that Brissett was going to become the team’s starting QB after QB Andrew Luck suffered an injury. And in that first season, he started 15 of 16 games. But over the years, he was in and out of the starting lineup, and after four seasons, he was allowed to test the free agent waters.
Brissett then began his backup role with the Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, Washington Commanders, and back with the Patriots before inking his deal with Arizona last year.
That contract was for two years, which is not the usual for a primary backup QB agreement, whereas a single-year agreement is more common. Brissett was the right guy for the moment to be in a backup role with Arizona. The deal was for $12.5 million, which is decent for a backup position.
But when Murray became injured and found IR his home for the remainder of 2025, it was Brissett who the team depended on. And when Mike LaFleur was hired as the new head coach of the Cardinals, it was Brissett that LaFleur chose as his starting QB going forward, as the franchise released Murray.
And suddenly, the Cardinals had a starting quarterback with a salary of $6.25 million and a cap hit of just $9.19 million.
That $6.25 million ranks #30 among quarterbacks. But in looking at the list of NFL quarterbacks, there are several non-starters listed that make more than Brissett, such as Marcus Mariota, Davis Mills, Anthony Richardson, and Deshaun Watson, not to mention the guys who are still under their rookie deals, who are paid more like Jayden Daniels, Bryce Young, Caleb Williams, and Drake Maye.
The Cardinals and Brissett haven’t moved the needle on his contract re-work since a few weeks ago. When asked, LaFleur declined to discuss any new information about their conversations.
During the OTAs, quarterbacks Gardner Minshew and rookie Carson Beck took all snaps.
Although Brissett has played a lot of football in his 10-year NFL career, there is a new head coach at the helm. And a new OC. Plus, a new system that has different verbiage and schemes. All of this simply can’t be accomplished by showing up in the 11th hour and expecting everything to go smoothly.
Not to mention a new starting running back, a new slot receiver, and at least two new starting offensive linemen, if not three.
Brissett has already been named the Cardinals’ starting quarterback.
