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Anthony Reinhard has found himself with a lonely voice on social media in recent weeks.
That’s because Reinhard — who runs a popular NFL Substack, StatButler — has taken it upon himself to defend Jacoby Brissett’s ongoing contract holdout.
Elsewhere, the consensus opinion is bemusement at Brissett’s demands. After all, the Cardinals went 1-11 in games started by Brissett last season.
Brissett has never posted a winning season and ranked in the bottom quarter of the league in expected points added per play. And the Cardinals seemingly have little incentive to pay him, with minimal playoff hopes and solid backup options.
So, we called Reinhard to try to understand why he’s put himself out on an island, as the rare Brissett defender among NFL analysts.
“If I showed up to my job and I found out that they were promoting me but not changing my pay, I would want a raise, obviously,” Reinhard explained. “So I think it makes sense that he would want that. Who wouldn't?
"The difference in pay between what bridge quarterbacks get and what backups get is pretty significant.”
As the Cardinals’ presumptive starter, Brissett is a "bridge" quarterback — not a long-term solution, but rather a stopgap between Kyler Murray and whatever lies ahead. Those quarterbacks typically make between $9 million and $16 million, according to Reinhard.
As it impacts the Cardinals, that’s where Brissett sits. He counts for $9.2 million against their cap space this season, per Over The Cap. But his base salary is only $4.9 million, with $1.5 million guaranteed and $2.5 million in bonuses.
That puts him more in the range of most backup quarterbacks. Gardner Minshew, for example, has $2.9 million guaranteed, with $600,000 in bonuses.
A fair solution, as Reinhard sees it, would be to guarantee Brissett’s bonuses and perhaps add a few million to this year’s salary.
“I don't think he's asking for the world here, probably, is my sense,” Reinhard said. “And that's why I feel like I have to push back on it. Because I think people are thinking he wants a multiyear (deal with) tens of millions of dollars in guaranteed money.
"But I think what he probably just wants is to have his pay adjusted up to the bridge quarterback rate.”
And the Cardinals may just have more incentive to find a solution than many believe, given that general manager Monti Ossenfort is 15-36 in his three years at the helm.
“Ossenfort's a GM that, I think, has to eventually produce something that looks like your arrow is pointing up,” Reinhard said. “And it's a lot easier to do that when you have a capable quarterback. Which, I think Brissett is the best they're gonna get right now.”
And if the Cardinals do ultimately want a deal with Brissett, they’re incentivized to accomplish that sooner rather than later. He’s already missed three weeks of organized team activities, plus crucial meetings as new head coach Mike LaFleur installs his offense. Even at mandatory minicamp — when he showed up to avoid fines — he did not participate in practices, meaning he has not yet operated LaFleur’s system.
“If you get into training camp and nothing's signed and he's still not participating, those are really valuable reps by the day that he'd be missing,” Reinhard said. “I think that is when you're really gonna see this come together quickly. Probably early July is when one side will buckle, and that'll be that.”
The most enduring argument against Brissett, though, remains simple: 1-11. It’s difficult to argue against such a glaring record.
So, why does Reinhard not see it that way?
“If the Cardinals thought that they really needed to upgrade from what they got from him at 1-11 last year, they needed to make some more aggressive moves on the QB market,” Reinhard said. “… I don't think Brissett is good, but I also don't think he's asking for the world.
"He's asking for what you would give to a guy who can make it look decent out there and not embarrass you.”
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: NFL analyst defends Cardinals QB Jacoby Brissett demands
Continue reading...
That’s because Reinhard — who runs a popular NFL Substack, StatButler — has taken it upon himself to defend Jacoby Brissett’s ongoing contract holdout.
Elsewhere, the consensus opinion is bemusement at Brissett’s demands. After all, the Cardinals went 1-11 in games started by Brissett last season.
Brissett has never posted a winning season and ranked in the bottom quarter of the league in expected points added per play. And the Cardinals seemingly have little incentive to pay him, with minimal playoff hopes and solid backup options.
So, we called Reinhard to try to understand why he’s put himself out on an island, as the rare Brissett defender among NFL analysts.
“If I showed up to my job and I found out that they were promoting me but not changing my pay, I would want a raise, obviously,” Reinhard explained. “So I think it makes sense that he would want that. Who wouldn't?
"The difference in pay between what bridge quarterbacks get and what backups get is pretty significant.”
As the Cardinals’ presumptive starter, Brissett is a "bridge" quarterback — not a long-term solution, but rather a stopgap between Kyler Murray and whatever lies ahead. Those quarterbacks typically make between $9 million and $16 million, according to Reinhard.
As it impacts the Cardinals, that’s where Brissett sits. He counts for $9.2 million against their cap space this season, per Over The Cap. But his base salary is only $4.9 million, with $1.5 million guaranteed and $2.5 million in bonuses.
That puts him more in the range of most backup quarterbacks. Gardner Minshew, for example, has $2.9 million guaranteed, with $600,000 in bonuses.
A fair solution, as Reinhard sees it, would be to guarantee Brissett’s bonuses and perhaps add a few million to this year’s salary.
“I don't think he's asking for the world here, probably, is my sense,” Reinhard said. “And that's why I feel like I have to push back on it. Because I think people are thinking he wants a multiyear (deal with) tens of millions of dollars in guaranteed money.
"But I think what he probably just wants is to have his pay adjusted up to the bridge quarterback rate.”
And the Cardinals may just have more incentive to find a solution than many believe, given that general manager Monti Ossenfort is 15-36 in his three years at the helm.
“Ossenfort's a GM that, I think, has to eventually produce something that looks like your arrow is pointing up,” Reinhard said. “And it's a lot easier to do that when you have a capable quarterback. Which, I think Brissett is the best they're gonna get right now.”
And if the Cardinals do ultimately want a deal with Brissett, they’re incentivized to accomplish that sooner rather than later. He’s already missed three weeks of organized team activities, plus crucial meetings as new head coach Mike LaFleur installs his offense. Even at mandatory minicamp — when he showed up to avoid fines — he did not participate in practices, meaning he has not yet operated LaFleur’s system.
“If you get into training camp and nothing's signed and he's still not participating, those are really valuable reps by the day that he'd be missing,” Reinhard said. “I think that is when you're really gonna see this come together quickly. Probably early July is when one side will buckle, and that'll be that.”
The most enduring argument against Brissett, though, remains simple: 1-11. It’s difficult to argue against such a glaring record.
So, why does Reinhard not see it that way?
“If the Cardinals thought that they really needed to upgrade from what they got from him at 1-11 last year, they needed to make some more aggressive moves on the QB market,” Reinhard said. “… I don't think Brissett is good, but I also don't think he's asking for the world.
"He's asking for what you would give to a guy who can make it look decent out there and not embarrass you.”
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: NFL analyst defends Cardinals QB Jacoby Brissett demands
Continue reading...
