Why Jacoby Brissett’s contract holdout is reason for OTAs absence with Cardinals originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Arizona Cardinals are entering a new era under head coach Mike LaFleur, but the organization is dealing with an early disagreement with one of its more important players.
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Quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who was the Cardinals’ starter for much of the 2025 season, is currently holding out of voluntary workouts as he is unhappy with his contract. Brissett initially signed with the team to be a backup but was elevated to a starter after the team moved on from Kyler Murray over the past year.
Arizona is just starting a rebuild and is hoping to build a foundation for the future, but Brissett may not be part of the plans beyond this year. Therefore, the quarterback is looking to secure his contract for the 2026 season.
Here’s the latest on Brissett’s contract status.
MORE: Complete dates and times for Cardinals 2026 schedule
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Why Jacoby Brissett is skipping Cardinals OTAs
Jacobt Brissett is set to skip Cardinals OTAs as he aims to get a raise this season. Brissett signed a two-year deal with the Cardinals last season to back up Kyler Murray, but is currently the starter after the team released Murray earlier in the offseason.
Brissett started 12 games for Arizona last year, totaling 3,366 passing yards and 23 touchdowns, but only went 1-11 overall. In the offseason, Arizona added Gardner Minshew and Carson Beck to the quarterback room, and the team has yet to commit to any of the three as the starter this year.
MORE: How Carson Beck fits on the Cardinals depth chart
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Jacoby Brissett contract holdout
Jacoby Brissett’s current contract is in line with other backups like Davis Mills, Marcus Mariota, Joe Flacco and Jacoby Brissett. However, Brissett views himself as the Cardinals’ starting quarterback, so he is looking to get a salary this year more in line with other low-end starters.
Briseett is due just $1.5 million guaranteed in 2026 and likely wants more on the guaranteed money side to protect him from injury or a potential benching.
Jacoby Brissett contract
Brissett signed a two-year, $12.5 million contract with the Cardinals last offseason, giving him an average annual value of $6.25 million. However, only $1.5 million of Brissett’s 2026 salary is guaranteed, as the rest is based on playing time incentives and other bonuses.