Jacoby Brissett receives a major raise: Cardinals guarantee him $15.5 million after months-long dispute
The Arizona Cardinals and Jacoby Brissett have completed one of their most important pieces of business ahead of the more intensive phase of preparations for the new NFL season. The experienced quarterback received a reworked contract for 2026 that guarantees him $15.5 million, while the total value, if bonuses are earned, could reach $21 million. The agreement, reported by ESPN and NFL Network on July 26, ended months of uncertainty surrounding Brissett's salary and his status with the Glendale-based team.
The Cardinals confirmed on their official website that the contractual situation had been resolved, but they did not disclose all the financial details. Head coach Mike LaFleur said Brissett would work with the first team from the opening practice in full pads, further strengthening his position as the leading candidate to be the starting quarterback. LaFleur, however, has still not officially confirmed who will start the first regular-season game against the Los Angeles Chargers on September 13. The new contract therefore resolves the financial dispute, but it does not formally close the competition for the most important position on the team.
From a $4.88 million base salary to $15.5 million guaranteed
Under his previous contract, Brissett was due to receive a base salary of $4.88 million in 2026, while his total earnings with previously scheduled incentives could have risen to approximately $5.39 million. ESPN reported during the spring that only $1.5 million was guaranteed. The new arrangement dramatically changes his financial position: the guaranteed amount is now greater than the total maximum he could have reached under the old terms, while the bonuses give him a path to an additional $5.5 million.
Such a contract structure reflects a compromise between a player who sought compensation appropriate for a potential starter and a club that did not offer a long-term commitment. Brissett received a major raise and security for the 2026 season, while the Cardinals retained flexibility after it ends. According to the published information, this is not a multiyear extension, but a reworked one-year arrangement covering the remaining season of his existing contract. The club therefore avoided entering the preseason games with an unresolved dispute at the position that has the greatest influence on the functioning of the entire offense.
Brissett arrived in Arizona in March 2025 as a free agent and signed a two-year contract. At the time, he was brought in primarily as an experienced backup to Kyler Murray, and his salary was structured in accordance with that role. Circumstances, however, changed quickly. Murray's season ended after Week 5 because of a foot injury, and Brissett took over the offense and started the Cardinals' final 12 games.
His statistics strengthened his negotiating position
The team's results were not good, but Brissett's individual numbers provided arguments for his representatives. According to Pro Football Reference, he appeared in 14 games during the 2025 season, starting 12 of them, and completed 64.9 percent of his passes for 3,366 yards, 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions. His passer rating was 94.1, and he produced the best results of his career to that point in several key statistical categories.
On the other hand, the Cardinals finished the season with a 3-14 record, while Brissett went 1-11 as the starter. That contrast between solid individual production and poor team performance is important for understanding the contract. The quarterback could not claim that his results had transformed Arizona into a playoff contender, but he could demonstrate that, under difficult circumstances, he led the offense without committing a large number of turnovers and produced enough touchdowns not to be treated as an ordinary backup.
His negotiating position was strengthened further after the Cardinals parted ways with Murray in March 2026 following seven seasons. Brissett then became the only quarterback on the roster who had led the same offense for an extended period the previous year and regularly played with the team's main receivers. The club subsequently added Gardner Minshew II and selected Carson Beck in the draft, but neither had Brissett's immediate familiarity with the existing personnel or his experience from 2025.
Absences from spring practices were his main source of leverage
Brissett did not participate in the voluntary portion of the program during the spring, including organized team activities. He appeared at the mandatory minicamp in June, but did not practice during the only on-field session. The Cardinals' official website reported at the time that talks between the club and the player's camp were ongoing, while LaFleur publicly avoided escalating the situation. Missing voluntary activities did not carry the same financial penalty as skipping mandatory sessions, so Brissett could express his dissatisfaction without completely severing his relationship with the team.
At the same time, Minshew received most of the repetitions with the first team, while Beck and Kedon Slovis accumulated additional minutes in the new system. Brissett therefore accepted a certain sporting risk because his competitors were gaining experience in an offense being introduced by a new coaching staff. Nevertheless, his message was clear: if the club viewed him as the most likely starter, the contract should reflect the responsibility and market value of that role.
Unlike during the spring program, Brissett reported to training camp on time and began participating in the work. Ahead of the agreement, LaFleur described the talks as productive, while the club's official report noted that the quarterback was practicing while negotiations were still underway. That approach prevented the dispute from developing into a complete boycott of preparations and left both sides room for a settlement. The agreement reached on July 26 allows the discussion during the remainder of camp to shift from the contract to performance.
A raise is not the same as an official appointment as starter
The financial details strongly suggest that the Cardinals view Brissett as the leading candidate for the starting lineup. The club would not guarantee him $15.5 million without expecting him to play a significant role, and LaFleur's confirmation that he will work with the first team further reinforces that conclusion. Nevertheless, after the agreement was announced, the coach declined to name the Week 1 starter in advance. By doing so, he maintained competitive pressure and the option to base his decision on the entire camp and the preseason games.
His most direct competitor is Gardner Minshew II, a veteran with starting experience in Jacksonville, Indianapolis and Las Vegas. The Cardinals brought him in during the spring, and during Brissett's absences he led much of the first-team work. Minshew is experienced enough to take over the offense if Brissett fails to meet expectations, meaning his arrival is not merely insurance in the event of an injury. At the same time, the club has not made such a significant long-term investment that it would have to build the team around him at all costs.
Carson Beck represents a developmental option. Arizona selected him at the beginning of the third round of the 2026 draft, and the club's official announcement emphasized that he accumulated 43 starts at the college level. That experience could accelerate his transition to professional football, but it does not automatically make him ready for the start of an NFL season. For Beck, the preparation period is intended for adapting to the speed of the game, terminology and reading defenses, while the Cardinals simultaneously assess whether he can become an important part of their long-term plan.
Kedon Slovis rounds out the quarterback group and provides additional depth during camp. In practice, therefore, the competition is not only for the starting job, but also for the distribution of roles behind the starter. Brissett enters that competition with the highest salary, the most recent experience in a Cardinals uniform and the first opportunity to work with the starting unit. All of that gives him a clear advantage, but the decision remains in LaFleur's hands.
Cardinals enter a new era after Kyler Murray's departure
The contract with Brissett is part of a broader change in direction in Glendale. Following a three-win season, the Cardinals replaced head coach Jonathan Gannon, and on February 2, 2026, they appointed Mike LaFleur and signed him to a five-year contract. LaFleur had served as the Los Angeles Rams' offensive coordinator for the previous three seasons, and in Arizona he took over a team that needs both short-term improvement and long-term stability at quarterback.
The club then officially released Murray on March 11, ending its relationship with the former first overall draft pick and longtime face of the franchise. That move opened a new chapter without a clearly established successor. Brissett can be a transitional solution who allows LaFleur to introduce his system without relying completely on a rookie, while Beck is given time to develop. Minshew provides additional competition and protection against a scenario in which the coaching staff's first choice does not perform as expected.
LaFleur will direct the offense alongside offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, but when introducing him, the club announced that the head coach would call the plays. The quarterback decision is therefore directly connected to his offensive vision. Brissett's advantage lies not only in his experience, but also in his ability to quickly learn new terminology, organize the formation before the snap and limit mistakes while the rest of the team adjusts to the changes.
According to the Arizona NFL team's official schedule, the Cardinals will play their first preseason game on August 6 against the Carolina Panthers in the traditional Hall of Fame Game. They open the regular season on September 13 on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers, while their first home game follows one week later against the Seattle Seahawks. That leaves LaFleur enough time for evaluation, but it also establishes a clear deadline by which the offense must have a stable hierarchy.
The one-year agreement divides the risk between player and club
For Brissett, the new contract is a reward for reaching a point at which he went from being a backup to becoming the most experienced available starting option. The guaranteed $15.5 million protects him from a scenario in which he loses the job during the season or suffers an injury, while bonuses that can increase the value to $21 million create additional earnings if he achieves the targets set out in the contract. Details regarding the criteria for receiving the incentives have not been publicly disclosed, so it has not been confirmed whether they depend on the number of appearances, individual performance, team results or a combination of several conditions.
For the Cardinals, the benefit is that they have not committed themselves to a long-term contract at a time when they are still evaluating Beck's development and the overall quality of the roster. The one-year structure allows them to reassess the market, the draft and the performance of their existing quarterbacks after the 2026 season. If Brissett plays well, the club will gain stability during the first year of LaFleur's tenure. If he fails to meet expectations, Arizona will not have a long-term financial commitment that would restrict the next phase of its rebuild.
Brissett enters the season as a 33-year-old with one of the most unusual careers among active NFL quarterbacks. Since being selected by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2016 draft, he has also played for the Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns and Washington Commanders, as well as returning to New England before arriving in Arizona. The Cardinals' official biography states that, before the 2026 season, he had accumulated 101 regular-season appearances and 65 starts. Such experience does not guarantee elite-level play, but it is valuable to a team that is simultaneously changing its coach, its system and its long-term plan at the most important position.
The greatest test will be turning solid numbers into more victories
Brissett's raise will not change the fundamental criterion by which his performance will be evaluated. Despite throwing 23 touchdowns and only eight interceptions in 2025, Arizona won only once with him as the starter. Part of the responsibility belongs to the defense, pass protection, the running game and the overall quality of the roster, but the starting quarterback always bears the largest share of public scrutiny. The new contract therefore also increases expectations.
It will be important for the coaching staff to determine whether Brissett can finish close games more effectively, elevate the offense in critical situations and maintain rhythm without unnecessary negative plays. His statistics from 2025 show that he can produce yards and touchdown passes, but the team's record warns that the offense did not turn those numbers into victories often enough. LaFleur and Hackett will have to assess which concepts can be adapted to his strengths and where limitations exist that opponents could exploit.
The first practices in full pads and four preseason games will provide a clearer picture of the relationship among the quarterbacks. Brissett no longer has a contract dispute as an external factor, Minshew has an opportunity to continue the pressure he created during the spring, and Beck can show how quickly he has progressed since the draft. LaFleur did not have to name a starter on the same day the contract was signed because the competition can help him establish the standards of the new team.
The agreement nevertheless removes the greatest uncertainty that had followed Arizona since the beginning of voluntary activities. Brissett received compensation corresponding to a serious candidacy for the starting job, while the Cardinals ensured that their most experienced quarterback could continue preparations without an unresolved financial issue. The next decision will no longer be made at the negotiating table, but on the practice field and in preseason games that will show whether the major raise can become the beginning of a more stable period for the Glendale offense.
Sources:
- Arizona Cardinals – official confirmation of the new contract and Mike LaFleur's statement about working with the first team (link)
- NFL – report on the guaranteed $15.5 million and the potential total value of $21 million (link)
- ESPN – financial details of the reworked contract and chronology of the negotiations (link)
- Arizona Cardinals – report from the beginning of training camp and information about Brissett's participation in the spring program (link)
- Arizona Cardinals – overview of the quarterback competition ahead of the 2026 season (link)
- Arizona Cardinals – information about Carson Beck's selection in the third round of the draft and his college experience (link)
- Pro Football Reference – Jacoby Brissett's statistics during the 2025 season and an overview of his NFL career (link)
- Pro Football Reference – team record and statistical overview of the Arizona Cardinals during the 2025 season (link)
- Arizona Cardinals – official schedule of preseason and regular-season games for 2026 (link)
- Arizona Cardinals – official announcement of Mike LaFleur's appointment and his five-year contract (link)
- Arizona Cardinals – information about LaFleur taking responsibility for calling offensive plays (link)
- Arizona Cardinals – official confirmation of Kyler Murray's release after seven seasons (link)