Why Jacoby Brissett Is Not Attending Cardinals' Offseason Program

Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett is skipping Phase 1 of the team’s offseason program.

Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett is seeking an extension. | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

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Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett is not in attendance for the first phase of Arizona’s offseason program under new head coach Mike LaFleur. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Brissett is not going to Phase 1 of the program as he seeks a contract extension that will pay him like a starting quarterback.

Brissett joined the Cardinals last offseason on a two-year, $12.5 million deal. He is slated to make a base salary of $4.88 million with $1.5 million guaranteed for the 2026 season. Brissett started the majority of the 2025 season for the Cardinals as Kyler Murray dealt with a foot injury.

In Murray’s place, Brissett went 1-11 as a starter while completing 64.9% of his passes for 3,366 yards, 23 touchdowns and eight picks. Brissett and the Cardinals offense had some nice moments, but they also fell off toward the end of the season, losing four of their last five games by three possessions. Amid these reports, Brissett notably posted several laughing emojis to his Instagram story.

Brissett’s viewpoint is understandable. If he does start, he’d be one of the lowest-paid starting quarterback in the league that’s not on a rookie deal. Still, both Brissett and Minshew are bridge quarterbacks, and the Cardinals might not want to invest much more into a player that’s likely not the long-term answer at the position they’re seeking.

The issue for Brissett is the Cardinals have not named a starting quarterback and aren’t planning on at the moment. After releasing Murray, the Cardinals signed Gardner Minshew, who spent most of the 2025 season backing up Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City, to join Brissett in the quarterback room. Currently, Brissett and Minshew are slated to compete for the QB1 role.

"We got Jacoby, Gardner, they both played a lot of ball," Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort said Thursday. "You know, I think, as we sit here today, we're trying to install a system. ... We're not really naming anybody, and we'll see how that room looks by the time we get in August."

LaFleur added, “Right now, none of that’s even being discussed because all we’re trying to do is get a foundational aspect of what this system looks like.”

Arizona Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort refuses to name a starting quarterback.

"We're not really naming anybody (QB1)." pic.twitter.com/oz4cXfIdAC

— PHNX Cardinals (@PHNX_Cardinals) April 16, 2026

The comments from Ossenfort and LaFleur certainly open the door for the Cardinals to take a quarterback in the draft next week. While Brissett and Minshew could end up competing for the starting job, the Cardinals naturally might not want to name a starter until they find out if they add to the position in the draft.

Related: 2026 NFL Draft QB Rankings: Fernando Mendoza, Ty Simpson and Not Much Else

The Cardinals hosted Ty Simpson, the No. 2 quarterback prospect in this year’s draft, for a top-30 visit this week. As the draft approaches, Arizona has been linked as a potential team to take Simpson. The Cardinals have the second pick in the second round of the draft (No. 34), and could select Simpson if he falls into the second round. If they really like Simpson, they could also consider trading back into the first round to take him, like the Giants did last year for Jaxson Dart. If the Cardinals don’t go for Simpson, they could opt to take a chance on one of the other quarterback prospects in this class.

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