Biggest Winner of Jacoby Brissett, Cardinals Contract Saga Was Obvious

ARIZONA — The dust is beginning to settle on Jacoby Brissett's restructured contract with the Arizona Cardinals.

Brissett and the Cardinals had been engaged since the early stages of the offseason, where Arizona parted from Kyler Murray and wiped the quarterback slate clean. It's obvious the 33-year-old isn't in the franchise's future plans, though an upgrade to the contract was still needed if he was still going to be the team's starter.

That got done, four days after the Cardinals initially reported to training camp last week.

"Happy for him. Happy for our team. It was productive, you know, and for it to get done now, sooner rather than later, is good," Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur said.

Like anywhere else in life, there's winners and losers. The Cardinals aren't quite losers walking away from the negotiation table, but it's hard not to see Brissett as the massive winner here.

Why Jacoby Brissett Was Obvious Winner From Cardinals Contract Negotiations

Arizona Cardinals QB Jacoby Brisset — Jul 23, 2026; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) during training camp at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Brissett's re-worked deal added no years to his contract (where he'll be a free agent in 2027) with a now $15.5 million fully guaranteed contract with incentives that could lead to $21 million, per reports.

To be clear, it's not as if the Cardinals got taken to the cleaners here. $15.5 million is very cheap in the big picture of starting quarterback money, and in their eyes, Brissett is capable of steadying the ship.

"I think he has the ability to throw it at all three levels," LaFleur said of Brissett.

Arizona's not on the hook for Brissett past this season, and quite honestly if Brissett still can't get the Cardinals back into the win column, that figure isn't enough to make Arizona hesitate on throwing somebody like Carson Beck in the lineup.

This isn't a massive deal for Arizona. They had plenty of cap space to facilitate a new and more lucrative deal for Brissett.

However, this was a massive win for Brissett based off circumstances alone.

Brissett almost triples the amount of cash he's due in 2026, jumping from $5.4 million to $15.5 million with potential to earn more. His incentives are not known at this time, though he now has the ninth-most guaranteed money for a starting quarterback (h/t ESPN).

He also negotiated the deal without an agent, though he told reporters on Sunday he had a team of people to reference throughout negotiations.

"I think that's the business of this league," Brissett said when asked what led to the eventual hold-in for a new contract during camp. He was not present during offseason team activities and was off to the side during mandatory minicamp.

"I think it kind of just unfolds as the business side goes."

Brissett won't be here in 2027. The Cardinals very much have their eyes set to the future of the position, and both parties have an understanding of what Brissett is: A bridge. A placeholder. A temporary fill-in that can function at a high enough level to give your offense a chance.

Yet there's just something about a contract standoff between a quarterback who won just one of twelve starts last season and a team who finished 3-14 that made so much of the public scratch their heads when news of Brissett's demands first came to light.

As for the starting record, Brissett said he, "couldn't care less" about those who didn't think he deserved the money.

He's got 15 million reasons not to care, and at the end of the day, Brissett ultimately got what he wanted from a team that was clearly desperate to have him in the mix.

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