Jacoby Brissett reports to training camp

Brissett reported to training camp and was practicing with the team on Thursday. Brissett is entering this season as the Cardinals’ QB1 but is currently set to play out the season on the final year of a two-year, $12.5 million contract he signed last season when he was backing up Kyler Murray. Brissett is reportedly seeking a pay raise for this season rather than an extension, and it sounds like a deal will eventually be reached by the two sides before the start of the season. Brissett was fourth in Thursday’s practice rotation, but that will change as he continues to get up to speed with the team after missing OTAs and minicamp.

Great news. Wins were tough to come by for Brissett last year, but passing productivity wasn’t. During his Weeks 6-18 starting stretch, Brissett totaled top-four passing yards (3,366) and passing touchdowns (23) sums, while also tying for the eighth-most interceptions (eight). Brissett and the team are reportedly negotiating a pay bump for 2026. Getting him on the field is good news for Cardinals pass catchers.

The Cardinals are slated to enter the season with Brissett as the starter, but Brissett’s contract calls for just $1.5 million in guarantees this season. The 33-year-old desires a starter-level contract and could be a candidate for a hold-in. Rapoport reports the team agrees that Brissett deserves a pay bump and the two sides have been negotiating “for months”, though a deal has not yet been reached.

In other words: Brissett isn’t necessarily gunning for an extension, but he definitely wants to be paid like a starting quarterback if he’s going to start. Brissett’s contract calls for just $1.5 million in guarantees in 2026. It feels like the Cardinals could make this headache go away pretty easily if they wanted to based on this report — it’s not like Brissett is asking for future money, and the Cardinals have $35 million in cap space. But if they did that, they wouldn’t be the Arizona Cardinals.

Among the Cardinals’ currently rostered quarterbacks, Brissett is the clear-cut top starting option for fantasy purposes. While his play might not — okay, will not — lead to wins, he can support at least two skill position players in the passing game. Urban acknowledges that although Brissett and the front office have still not come to terms on a fix to get Brissett back on the practice field, he still thinks Brissett is “the guy.”

Solak is among the NFL analysts identifying the Cardinals as a prime landing spot for Sorsby, who will enter the league’s supplemental draft after forgoing his final collegiate season following a sports betting scandal. The weak-armed Beck, selected by Arizona with the 65th pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, would have little chance of holding off Sorsby this season if the Cards bring in Sorsby, who was graded by Pro Football Focus as the eighth best passer in the nation last year. In Arizona, the dual-threat Sorsby — he had 18 rushing touchdowns over his final two collegiate seasons — would have a real chance at fantasy relevance unless the Cardinals are intent on wasting an entire season with Jacoby Brissett under center.

Only the Cardinals could find a way to turn offseason team activities in a year in which they are projected to be one of the worst teams in the NFL into a dramatic exercise. Brissett looks to be pushing all his available leverage on a potential contract extension, though the fact that there’s really been no report that the Cardinals are looking to do something with him seems to be very telling. As for Sweat, his name has been bandied about in trade rumors but, again, the Cardinals don’t appear to have much interest in dealing him at this time.

Josh Sweat is also present and accounted for after the pass rusher, like Brissett, opted out of voluntary OTAs. Brissett was rumored to be planning to attend camp, in part to avoid any fines that would come with staying away, but how much he participates in drills will be worth keeping an eye on. Brissett continues to hold out hope for a pay bump after earning the QB1 job with his 2025 performance. His 2026 base salary of $4.88 million puts him in range with most backups across the league.

Brissett has been away from the team while hoping for a new contract ahead of this season. Despite his decision to stay away from voluntary activities, Brissett is expected to attend this week’s mandatory minicamp to avoid any fines the team may levy against him should he not report. Brissett is due $4.88 million base salary this season and is in the final year of the two-year deal he signed last offseason. The 33-year-old vet is hoping for an increase in pay after playing his way into a starting role last season, and has already been named the starting QB for this season. It’s possible that when Brissett reports to minicamp, he keeps his activity to a minimum, but we’ll see whether his decision to report helps his negotiations before training camp begins. Brissett profiles as a mid to low-end QB2 in fantasy next season, but could provide plenty of spike weeks to elevate rosters in 2QB/Superflex leagues.

Brissett is absent from the voluntary offseason program in search of a revised contract. He is only guaranteed $1.5 milion this year and can make at most $5.4 million. While Brissett isn’t anyone’s idea of a long-term starter, he is criminally underpaid even as a bridge option. LaFleur wasn’t worried about his absence, saying, “The hardest thing to teach a player is the speed of the game, an NFL game, in general. He’s played a lot of ball, so he’ll be just fine.” If this holdout turns into a hold-in during training camp, it could become a bigger issue. We don’t expect things to get that far. In the meantime, Gardner Minshew and Carson Beck will get some extra reps at OTAs.