Cardinals resolve Jacoby Brissett contract standoff with deal worth up to $21M for 2026

In focus: the Jacoby Brissett pay dispute. Arizona Cardinals bumped his 2026 base salary from $4.88 million to $15.5 million, with incentives that can push the total to $21 million, per multiple reports. The next milestone is full 11-on-11 participation at training camp, which Brissett had been withholding pending resolution of the deal.

The print: $4.88M to $15.5M base

The gap was significant. Brissett was under contract at $4.88 million before the Cardinals agreed to the raise, and the new number represents a tripling of his base rate. The $21 million ceiling reflects performance incentives structured into the deal. The new total still sits well below the top tier of starting quarterback salaries in the league.

He made his position clear without staging a full holdout. Brissett skipped the Cardinals' voluntary spring workouts but arrived at training camp on time. Multiple reports flagged that on-time arrival as a signal that a deal was close. The Cardinals and Carolina Panthers were the first franchises to open camp. The rest of the league's veterans check in July 28.

The setup in Arizona

Brissett stepped into the starting role midway through 2025 after Kyler Murray suffered a foot injury, and the offense moved more efficiently with him operating it. Tight end Trey McBride and wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. both saw their stat lines improve during that stretch. Murray was eventually released by the Cardinals and later signed with the Minnesota Vikings.

First-year head coach Mike LaFleur inherited the position after the Cardinals fired Jonathan Gannon. The 2026 roster includes Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, taken third overall in April. The team also signed Gardner Minshew II and drafted Miami's Carson Beck to provide competition at the quarterback position.

What to watch

The depth chart is open. Brissett has existing rapport with McBride and Harrison Jr. and the most experience in the Cardinals' system, but the starting job is not locked in by contract. Week 1 is against the Los Angeles Chargers. With 11-on-11 reps now available to him, the quarterback competition for Arizona officially gets underway. Brissett is scheduled to hit free agency again after this season.