Cardinals GM Reveals What Led to Jacoby Brissett Trade

ARIZONA — What a difference a week makes.

Just seven days ago, Jacoby Brissett was the lead quarterback of the Arizona Cardinals entering Week 8's matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.

At halftime, Brissett was benched for Gardner Minshew. When the team boarded their plane for a victory flight home to the desert, the Cardinals (reportedly) were already making trade calls on their quarterback.

Monday saw Brissett demoted to third-team duties behind Minshew and Carson Beck, and Wednesday prompted a trade to the Baltimore Ravens that was just finalized today.

It's been a whirlwind seven days for everyone involved, and reporters got a pleasant surprise press conference from general manager Monti Ossenfort on Friday to break things down:

What Monti Ossenfort said on Jacoby Brissett Trade

Arizona Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort — Arizona Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort talks with during a game at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. on Oct. 25, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

"I think it was a little bit of a perfect storm of a lot of things there," said Ossenfort.

"Obviously, our game played out the way it did on Sunday, and then post-game, our discussions on how we were going to operate moving forward, and that continued into Monday morning. And then, Mike [LaFleur] informed you guys there that the roles in that room were obviously going to switch, and Jacoby was going to assume the third spot on the depth chart. While at the same time, I would say, along with this, Baltimore was dealing with their own set of injury issues that happened with them on Sunday, and so then discussion started there, and then continued over the next couple days.

"And I think, as always with trades, it takes two parties that have to come to an agreement, and [we] came to an agreement that worked for both of us. It was the right thing to do for us, and obviously the right thing to do for Baltimore, and so that's kind of how it all shook out."

Brissett successfully secured a reworked contract where he was given $15 million in guaranteed salary for the 2026 season. After replacing Kyler Murray in Week 5 of last season, Brissett earned starting quarterback duties and was reportedly told he would be Arizona's starter in the offseason.

Now, he's sent packing to Baltimore in a trade that nets the Cardinals a fourth-round pick this year and a 2028 seventh-round pick.

"I have the utmost respect for Jacoby Brissett. Going back to last year, what he did to stabilize a position that was in flux last year, and the toughness and the leadership that he brought to that position, the professionalism, the way that he went about his job every day, took a lot of shots, kept getting up, a lot of respect for Jacoby," Ossenfort said.

"Part of this too is like, hey, they [Baltimore] have an opportunity for Jacoby that we couldn't provide. And so he's going to have an opportunity to go there and play. We'll see how it shakes out for them. I can't answer that, but just a lot of respect and a lot of appreciation for what Jacoby meant to our team, both last year and this year."

The Cardinals now move forward with Minshew and Beck as their top two quarterbacks.

What gave Ossenfort confidence in his quarterback room to pull such a trade off?

"I think really it's how we were going to operate moving forward. Mike and I, we spoke, and Mike determined that was going to be the order of the quarterback room, and so now, as the team is built where Jacoby's in that third role, an opportunity came to trade him for some value," said Ossenfort.

"And so if Baltimore or whatever team, if that opportunity doesn't come, then we're probably moving forward just the way that we were built, and Jacoby would have been in that third role.

"So I think with anything, it's an opportunity that came up, and it just worked out for both parties."

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