Jacoby Brissett and the Arizona Cardinals are in the midst of one of the strangest holdouts you’ll ever see, and it doesn’t sound like there’s an end in sight. Originally selected in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Brissett developed into the definition of a journeyman quarterback. The North Carolina State product has played for six teams in his 10-year career, establishing himself as a high-end backup who can start if needed, but should never be anyone’s Plan A.
He spent the 2025 season as Arizona’s primary quarterback following Kyler Murray’s injury/benching and, while he wasn’t a disaster, he wasn’t good enough to win with such a flawed roster. Starting 12 games, the veteran went 1-11 while completing 64.9% of his passes for 3,366 yards, 23 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. With Murray now in Minnesota, Jacoby Brissett has been holding out for more guaranteed money, and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport recently said that the two sides are not close to a new deal.
Jacoby Brissett, Cardinals, Not Close to New Contract
The Cardinals start training camp today, and the team has maintained that Jacoby Brissett will be their starting quarterback if he’s on the field. However, that might not happen for a while, so the team must turn to Plan B. Arizona signed veteran Gardner Minshew in the offseason and selected Miami’s Carson Beck in the third round, so the two will fight for the starting job. As of this posting, Minshew will likely be the favorite to start.
Minshew, a former sixth-round pick, originally made a name for himself with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Filling in for an injured Nick Foles, the Washington State product finished his inaugural season with a 6-6 record while completing 60.6% of his passes for 3,271 yards, 21 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He followed this up with a 1-7 campaign in 2020 that led the team to select Georgia’s Trevor Lawrence with the first-overall pick.
Much like Jacoby Brissett, Minshew spent most of his career as a backup but earned extensive time under center with the Indianapolis Colts in 2023. Starting in 13 games for an injured Anthony Richardson, the veteran completed 62.2% of his passes for 3,305 yards, 15 touchdowns, and nine interceptions while guiding the team to the edge of playoff contention.
Whether it’s Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew, or Carson Beck, the Arizona Cardinals will face an uphill battle to the playoffs in 2026.
