Jacoby Brissett contract: $15.5M guaranteed from Cardinals

The Jacoby Brissett contract dispute is over. Brissett and the Arizona Cardinals agreed on a reworked deal worth $15.5 million fully guaranteed, with incentives that could push the total to $21 million, per Adam Schefter. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler first reported that an agreement had been reached. Brissett was previously set to earn a $4.88 million base salary with just $1.5 million guaranteed in 2026, the lowest guaranteed figure of any projected starter not on a rookie contract.

No new years were added. Brissett, QB, Arizona Cardinals, remains on track to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2026 season.

How the standoff played out

Brissett, 33, negotiates his own contracts without an agent. After Arizona told him he was the QB1 entering 2026, he pushed back on a paycheck that ranked him behind several veteran backups in guaranteed money. Gardner Minshew, signed as Arizona's backup at $5.75 million per year, carried $5.14 million guaranteed on his own deal.

Brissett skipped all voluntary OTAs and was limited to individual drills at mandatory minicamp in June. The two sides were described as significantly far apart as recently as May. On July 22, the day before camp opened, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported they were still apart on a number, though both agreed Brissett deserved a raise. He reported on time, took reps last in every drill on Day 1 on July 23, and the contract was finished shortly after. Arizona Sports reporter John Gambadoro had pegged his ask at roughly $15 million for the season, which is close to where it landed.

How he became the starter

Brissett originally signed a two-year, $12.5 million contract with Arizona in March 2025 as Kyler Murray's backup. When Murray suffered a season-ending foot injury, Brissett took over in Week 6 and never gave the job back. Across 12 starts he completed 64.9% of his passes for 3,366 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions, the best statistical season of his career. He ranked among the better quarterbacks in the league on a per-dropback basis from Week 6 onward.

Arizona went 1-11 in those starts, but the offense averaged 284.1 passing yards per game, nearly 100 more than it managed with Murray. This offseason the Cardinals released Murray, who later signed with the Vikings, drafted Carson Beck in the third round, and brought in Minshew as the veteran backup. Naming Brissett the starter in March 2026 is what triggered the compensation dispute.

What this means for your fantasy roster

The clarity is real. The uncertainty that gave Minshew first-team reps through the offseason is gone, and Brissett is the uncontested starter heading into 2026.

Four things still cap his ceiling:

• First-year head coach Mike LaFleur is installing a new offense, and Brissett missed all voluntary OTAs and most of minicamp. His time to absorb the system has been compressed.
• Rookie running back Jeremiyah Love is in the backfield mix. If Arizona leans on the run, Brissett's pass volume gets capped.
• Beck is not expected to push for the job immediately, but he is on the roster.
• Arizona has gone 15-36 in the Ossenfort era and carries a tough early schedule.

Brissett is a low-end QB2 and a streaming option in 2026, much as he was in 2025. His 23-touchdown, 8-interception line is a reasonable baseline for what to expect. Add him in deeper leagues if he is available and start him against weak pass defenses.

For dynasty managers, the structure matters more than the money. No new years means his long-term hold value in Arizona is essentially zero. Beck is the presumptive franchise quarterback. Treat Brissett as a one-year bridge and roster him accordingly.