The Arizona Cardinals have a Jacoby Brissett problem, and it is now into a second week.
Brissett did not show up for the team’s second week of OTAs. This is a holdout, even if his agent will probably call it something softer. The 32-year-old veteran quarterback signed with Arizona in the offseason to back up Kyler Murray, and the relationship has reportedly soured.
Veteran backup quarterbacks do not usually hold out. That is the entire point of being a veteran backup. You are paid to be reliable, to mentor the starter, to take a roster spot without making waves. Brissett breaking that mold is a story.
The reports suggest this is contract-related. Brissett wants more guaranteed money or a longer deal. The Cardinals are not inclined to give it. This is a standard NFL standoff, but the specific position makes it weird.
Arizona’s quarterback situation is built around Kyler Murray. Brissett’s job is to back him up and run the offense if Murray gets hurt. The Cardinals invested in Brissett because Murray has missed significant time in three of the past four seasons. Insurance at the position is critical.
If Brissett actually misses real time, the Cardinals have a hole. Clayton Tune is the third-string. Tune has shown flashes but is not a long-term answer. If Murray gets hurt and Brissett is out, Arizona could be looking at a Tune-led offense, which is not a recipe for winning football games.
The Cardinals could trade Brissett, but the market for a $10-million-per-year backup quarterback is limited. Most teams either have a starter and a cheap backup, or they have a quarterback competition where Brissett would have to compete. He has leverage, but not unlimited leverage.
The Cardinals could also fine Brissett heavily and force him to report. The CBA allows teams to penalize players for missing mandatory team activities, and OTAs are technically voluntary but mandatory minicamp is around the corner. If Brissett skips that, the fines pile up fast.
This is also a window into how Jonathan Gannon runs the building. He has been described as a straight shooter who does not love drama. The Brissett situation is the kind of thing that erodes trust quickly. If a veteran can hold out and not show up, what does that signal to the rest of the locker room?
Adding to the chaos: the Cardinals have also received trade calls about OLB Josh Sweat, who is not at OTAs either. Two of Arizona’s veteran free agent signings from this offseason are AWOL. That is a pattern. Either the front office is going to handle this firmly or the rest of the team is going to start asking questions.
Kyler Murray has not publicly commented on the situation, but the optics are bad. A starting quarterback wants his backup engaged and ready. Brissett being absent for an extended period puts pressure on Murray to stay healthy, which is the exact thing the Cardinals were trying to avoid.
The Cardinals have to win this standoff. If they cave on Brissett’s demands, the message is that veterans can leverage their way to more money mid-contract. If they let it drag into camp, the team’s locker room dynamic suffers. The best outcome is a quiet trade in the next two weeks. Find a contender that needs a backup, get a Day 3 pick, and move on.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
