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The Arizona Cardinals and quarterback Jacoby Brissett have offseason drama. He wants his contract redone. The Cardinals seem willing to do something, but the latest is that the two sides are nowhere near coming to an agreement.
Meanwhile, the offseason program is ongoing with a new coaching staff and Brissett has been absent. While it is voluntary, it is a new offensive system with a new head coach and staff. Brissett is certainly missing important reps.
As things go with the Cardinals, this feels a bit absurd. However, the truth both the Cardinals and Brissett happen to be both right and wrong about hos things are going down.
In the NFL, players must try and maximize their earnings. Teams and owners make money no matter what, whether they win or lose, whether they are good or bad franchises.
Brissett was told he would be the team's starting quarterback. He started 12 games last season and was one of the better quarterbacks in the league statistically during the time he started games. Fans and analysts seem to agree that the offense looked better with him at the helm. He showed he can be a starter.
And that is why he is right about wanting to redo his deal.
He signed a contract in 2025 based on a projected role as a backup. He is now a starter. No expected starter not on a cost-controlled rookie contract is making less than $20 million a year. Brissett is set to make $4.9 million in salary. That's solid backup money. It's an embarrassment as starter money.
The Cardinals are wrong because they should pay their starting quarterback the market rate. Not doing so makes them look bad as an organization.
But...
The Cardinals have no real reason to pay Brissett.
They were 1-11 in his 12 starts and lost the final nine games. While the offense looked better, the offense averaged only 18.7 points per game after Kyler Murray was placed on injured reserve.
Brissett is 2-15 as a starter over the last two seasons and 20-45 for his career. They signed a quarterback in Gardner Minshew who has been a starter in the league. He is 17-30 as a starter. There is almost no difference in the Cardinals' chance for success whether Brissett or Minshew is the starter.
They also drafted Carson Beck in the third round. With 43 college starts and major success in two massive programs in Georgia and Miami, he could start.
Whether Brissett is the starter or not, the Cardinals are projected to be the worst team in the league. It isn't as if they would be worse off with Minshew or Beck.
Brissett's stats were elevated by numbers while down big. If you take out his numbers while the Cardinals were down by at least 17 points, he had 2,428 passing yards, 14 touchdown passes and six interceptions. In 11 games as a starter in 2022 with the Cleveland Browns (4-7 record), he had 2,608 passing yards, 12 touchdown passes and six picks.
Nine of his touchdown passes and nearly 1,000 of his passing yards came in garbage time. He is 33 years old and wants a multi-year deal.
From a business perspective, why would the Cardinals pay Brissett more money when the results are not going to be any worse than with the less expensive options.
Brissett simply has no leverage. Players only get more money when they have leverage to do so. As a result, his "holding out" and not showing up to the offseason program just looks silly. He has hardly established himself as a difference-making starting quarterback, he is missing reps in a new offense and the Cardinals have other options.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals both right, wrong in contract drama
Continue reading...
Meanwhile, the offseason program is ongoing with a new coaching staff and Brissett has been absent. While it is voluntary, it is a new offensive system with a new head coach and staff. Brissett is certainly missing important reps.
As things go with the Cardinals, this feels a bit absurd. However, the truth both the Cardinals and Brissett happen to be both right and wrong about hos things are going down.
How Jacoby Brissett is right and the Cardinals are wrong about this dispute
In the NFL, players must try and maximize their earnings. Teams and owners make money no matter what, whether they win or lose, whether they are good or bad franchises.
Brissett was told he would be the team's starting quarterback. He started 12 games last season and was one of the better quarterbacks in the league statistically during the time he started games. Fans and analysts seem to agree that the offense looked better with him at the helm. He showed he can be a starter.
And that is why he is right about wanting to redo his deal.
He signed a contract in 2025 based on a projected role as a backup. He is now a starter. No expected starter not on a cost-controlled rookie contract is making less than $20 million a year. Brissett is set to make $4.9 million in salary. That's solid backup money. It's an embarrassment as starter money.
The Cardinals are wrong because they should pay their starting quarterback the market rate. Not doing so makes them look bad as an organization.
But...
Why the Cardinals are right and Brissett is wrong
The Cardinals have no real reason to pay Brissett.
They were 1-11 in his 12 starts and lost the final nine games. While the offense looked better, the offense averaged only 18.7 points per game after Kyler Murray was placed on injured reserve.
Brissett is 2-15 as a starter over the last two seasons and 20-45 for his career. They signed a quarterback in Gardner Minshew who has been a starter in the league. He is 17-30 as a starter. There is almost no difference in the Cardinals' chance for success whether Brissett or Minshew is the starter.
They also drafted Carson Beck in the third round. With 43 college starts and major success in two massive programs in Georgia and Miami, he could start.
Whether Brissett is the starter or not, the Cardinals are projected to be the worst team in the league. It isn't as if they would be worse off with Minshew or Beck.
Brissett's stats were elevated by numbers while down big. If you take out his numbers while the Cardinals were down by at least 17 points, he had 2,428 passing yards, 14 touchdown passes and six interceptions. In 11 games as a starter in 2022 with the Cleveland Browns (4-7 record), he had 2,608 passing yards, 12 touchdown passes and six picks.
Nine of his touchdown passes and nearly 1,000 of his passing yards came in garbage time. He is 33 years old and wants a multi-year deal.
From a business perspective, why would the Cardinals pay Brissett more money when the results are not going to be any worse than with the less expensive options.
Brissett simply has no leverage. Players only get more money when they have leverage to do so. As a result, his "holding out" and not showing up to the offseason program just looks silly. He has hardly established himself as a difference-making starting quarterback, he is missing reps in a new offense and the Cardinals have other options.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals both right, wrong in contract drama
Continue reading...
