Jacoby Brissett and the Arizona Cardinals have agreed to a new contract, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, confirming Brissett as Arizona's starting quarterback for 2026.
Terms have not been reported. Brissett had been seeking approximately $15M for the season, according to Arizona Sports reporter John Gambadoro. He negotiates his own contracts without an agent.
How the Jacoby Brissett contract dispute started
Brissett, 33, was already under contract for 2026 at a $4.88M base salary with just $1.5M guaranteed. That was the lowest guaranteed money of any projected starter not on a rookie deal. He skipped voluntary OTAs seeking a raise that matched his starter role, and the two sides were described as significantly far apart as recently as May. He was limited to individual drills during mandatory minicamp in June and was taking reps last in every drill through training camp Day 1 on July 23.
Brissett originally signed a two-year, $12.5M contract with Arizona in March 2025 as a backup to Kyler Murray. When Murray suffered a season-ending foot injury, Brissett stepped in and made 12 starts, going 1-11 but posting solid numbers: 3,366 yards, 23 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, and a 64.9% completion rate. He ranked among the better quarterbacks in the league on a per-dropback basis from Week 6 onward. In March 2026, the Cardinals released Murray and named Brissett their starter, which is what triggered the compensation dispute.
What this means for your fantasy roster
The contract removes the one overhang that could have complicated Brissett's path to the starting lineup. He is in and will take full reps starting now.
A few things that still matter for his ceiling:
- Gardner Minshew (signed for $5.75M per year) is the backup. Rookie third-round pick Carson Beck is also on the roster but is not expected to push for the starting job immediately.
- First-year head coach Mike LaFleur is installing a new offense. Brissett missed all voluntary OTAs and was limited in minicamp, so 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 game, Brissett's pass volume could be capped.
- The Cardinals have gone 15-36 in the Ossenfort era and carry a tough early schedule, which limits his week-to-week ceiling.
Brissett is a low-end QB2 and a streaming option in 2026, similar to his 2025 role. Add him in deeper leagues if he is available, and target him in favorable matchups.
