Jacoby Brissett has a fair point, but the Arizona Cardinals need to stand firm
Jacoby Brissett certainly has a legitimate gripe with his 2026 compensation. But for the Arizona Cardinals, it shouldn’t matter.
Let’s start here first: Jacoby Brissett has a point. Brissett has been mired in a contract dispute with the Arizona Cardinals this offseason. And he’s probably right to want some more money after posting 3,366 yards, 23 passing touchdowns and 8 interceptions in 12 starts last season.
Brissett is due $5.44 million this upcoming season, which is $310,000 less than what the team is paying Gardner Minshew in 2026. Minshew, of course, was not on the roster last season. Arizona willingly chose to give someone else more money than their de facto starter from last season in free agency and that someone’s name is Minshew. It’s a mess. But for the Cardinals, the damage is already done. Meeting Brissett’s request, at this stage, probably does more harm than good.
The Arizona Cardinals made this mess and need to lie in it
When the Cardinals were, apparently, flirting to land free agent quarterback Malik Willis this winter, it was understandable. That could have been a long-term transition from Kyler Murray. But the Miami Dolphins ended up winning the services of Willis in free agency, leaving the Cardinals in need of a pivot. They ultimately settled on Minshew, paying him nearly half a million more for 2026 than what Brissett was scheduled for this season.
That, in and of itself, suggests that Brissett should be competing with Minshew for playing time. But Minshew isn’t exactly a long-term answer himself. That leaves the Cardinals with two career journeyman quarterback making similar money on the payroll. One had sweat equity in Arizona, the other did not. And that’s before you introduce Carson Beck into the equation, who the team drafted at 65th overall in the 2026 NFL Draft.
If Brissett feels some type of way about the Cardinals’ movement at quarterback this offseason, I would get why. His play was admirable and productive. Even if mistakes at times were plentiful and yardage and points came late in games that were out of hand on occasions.
GM Monti Ossenfort’s hot seat complicates things
But for general manager Monti Ossenfort, these are tough times. You’re entering Year 4 of the Ossenfort era in Arizona — he’s free of Kyler Murray and Jonathan Gannon for the first time. But he’s got a 15-36 record as an executive and the Cardinals’ roster is, uh, not great.
Are you, honestly, going to serve up a pay raise to the quarterback you’ve spent all offseason investing to replace? To what end? Doubling back and raising Brissett’s compensation this season after choosing to deliver nearly $6 million to Minshew ($5.1 million guaranteed) would not serve as a great reflection on the pivot to Minshew after missing out on Willis.
Brissett is right to want more than to be the NFL’s 26th highest paid quarterback this season. He is behind names like Mills, Mariota, Flacco, and Stidham. But it would seem the Cardinals have made a bed to lie in. And tussling things about now to appease last year’s starter would only serve to make their moves this offseason look worse. And for Ossenfort, the seat is mighty warm. Adding extra scrutiny to his performance probably isn’t a great idea. The Cardinals’ best interests is probably to have Brissett behind center. But even more than that, Ossenfort’s best interests is probably to let it ride.
Arizona Cardinals News