TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett was at the Arizona Cardinals' practice on Tuesday, walking around wearing a black hooded sweatshirt in the hot desert sun.
Edge rusher Josh Sweat was on the field as well, chatting with some of the other defensive players as he watched while they went through their workout.
The good news for the Cardinals is that two of their most important players decided to report for the team's mandatory minicamp
after missing voluntary workouts earlier in the summer. The problem is it's unclear if the questions surrounding their status for the upcoming NFL season have been resolved.
“It was good to see both those guys,” Cardinals first-year coach Mike LaFleur said. “We'll just take it one day at a time. You guys saw what it was today and we'll re-evaluate.”
Brissett is seeking a re-worked contract after starting the final 12 games of last season while Sweat is reportedly unhappy with the direction of the franchise after the Cardinals finished with a 3-14 record and fired coach Jonathan Gannon, who was close with the edge rusher.
Brissett stepped in for the injured Kyler Murray last season and put up big numbers, completing more than 64% of his passes for a career-high 3,366 yards and 23 touchdowns over 12 starts. But a decent chunk of that production was essentially meaningless, coming when the Cardinals were trailing by large margins.
Arizona had a 1-11 record in Brissett's 12 starts.
The 33-year-old is in the final year of a $12.5 million, two-year deal, though only $1.5 million for the upcoming season is guaranteed. If he remains the team's starter, he would be among the league's lowest-paid quarterbacks.
Brissett is popular among the Cardinals' offensive players, including All-Pro tight end Trey McBride.
“Guys are excited that he was here, guys want him to be here,” McBride said. “He's working through some things on his own, so we totally understand that. But you could tell the presence he brought today being in the building. It was awesome.”
Neither Brissett or Sweat was made available to the media on Tuesday.
The Cardinals added to their quarterback room during the offseason, bringing in veteran Gardner Minshew, whose resume looks a whole lot like Brissett's. Arizona also selected Carson Beck in the third round of April's draft and the 24-year-old figures to compete for snaps right away.
Sweat had a career-high 12 sacks last season, providing the Cardinals with an elite pass rush presence after he signed a $76.4 million, four-year deal in 2025.
LaFleur was optimistic about Sweat's situation on Tuesday. The coach noted that the edge rusher has always been a guy who had his own offseason training program and sometimes skips voluntary camps.
LaFleur said he's had productive conversations with Sweat — even if he wouldn't divulge details — and added that the main reason he didn't practice on Tuesday was that the team wanted to ease him onto the field.
“If Josh could (practice), he would right now," LaFleur said. "He's in a good spot, he looks good, looks really good. Had a good conversation with him — not worried about Josh Sweat at all.”
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