Jacoby Brissett is Playing a Dangerous Game With Cardinals

The deeper we go into the Arizona Cardinals' offseason — where Jacoby Brissett is still holding out in hopes of a new contract — the more doors open for others on the depth chart.

Brissett, entering the final year of his deal, wants a re-worked contract as the projected starting quarterback. Last season, he started every game after Week 5 in the desert and since he's best suited as the team's opening day quarterback, he feels like he's due a bit more dough.

That's fine, and honestly looking at Brissett's situation in a vacuum, it's sensible depending on what his demands are.

Yet the way Brissett is going about his business, missing valuable reps under the first-year watch of head coach and play-caller Mike LaFleur, isn't a good look for a quarterback that did notch career highs in yards/touchdowns in 2025 while also going 1-11 as a starter in Arizona.

LaFleur himself didn't seem too worried when asked about Brissett's status at voluntary offseason team activities.

"It's not mandatory, right? And like I've said with Jacoby and all veterans I've ever been around, they've played football," LaFleur told reporters.

"The hardest thing to do in this league is get used to the speed of the game ... He's done probably everything that we've ever done schematically, it's just a little bit different verbiage."

That's fine, and to LaFleur's point, this is considered voluntary. When the Cardinals hit mandatory mini-camp in June, that's when attendance is required.

Yet even the staunchest of Brissett believers have to admit it's not a good look for player or organization at the moment. Showing up in good faith while negotiations are ongoing would have likely been the best way to move about it.

Such is the path of Cardinals wideout Michael Wilson, who is hoping to land a contract extension this offseason and while admitting everybody in the building understands Brissett's position, he's not quite taking the same route for his own.

"Truthfully that whole situation isn't going to dictate my offseason," Wilson told reporters this week.

"And that's not something I want to show up to the building with on my mind. I don't want that to affect how I show up every single day, because ultimately that stuff is going to take care of itself."

Everybody goes about their business differently, and while many on the outside will laugh at Brissett and even the Cardinals for engaging in these theatrics at this point of the offseason, the biggest mistake being made here in Brissett offering more reps for others to potentially prove themselves.

Jobs won't be won or lost during voluntary offseason team activities. That would be a gross overreaction.

Rather, the more reps passers such as third-round pick Carson Beck can get during these days, the closer he could come to sharpening his sword as training camp nears. The Cardinals publicly declined to name anybody a starter at quarterback for 2026.

Beck arrives to the NFL with plenty of starting experience with multiple trips to the national championship game under his belt.

Even NFL insider Tom Pelissero believes Brissett's mistake is opening the door for Beck this offseason:

"If I'm Carson Beck, and you're telling me, 'Wait a second, I got Jeremiyah Love, Marvin Harrison Jr. Michael Wilson, Trey McBride —I'll take my chances. What third-round pick has an opportunity to start out of the gate? I'm all over this," Pelissero said on The Rich Eisen Show.

"I'm loving this [If I am Beck]. Every rep Jacoby Brissett doesn't take, I'm going, 'Great. Give me the opportunity. Let me go out there.'"

Brissett could easily squash this by showing up to work while handling business off to the side. It is important to note that he is representing himself without an agent in these contract talks.

Is Brissett the most prepared to start for the Cardinals in Week 1? Yes. But he's playing with fire, and although small — there's a possibility he does get burned from this.

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