ARIZONA — The overall outlook on Arizona Cardinals QB Jacoby Brissett was never going to be high entering 2026.
Brissett, who took over for the injured Kyler Murray after Week 5 of last season, set career-highs in passing yards and touchdowns while leading Arizona to just a 1-11 record as their starting quarterback.
It’s a mixed bag that saw production ultimately weighed down by results, and there’s arguments for either side to be the talking point entering 2026.
Regardless, the slate is wiped clean for Brissett ahead of training camp (despite contract disputes) with new head coach Mike LaFleur in town. Upgrades to the offense also should help Arizona and Brissett’s ability to move the ball and score points.
Still, compared to his peers, Brissett is in the basement of NFL quarterback rankings.
Pro Football Focus Ranks Jacoby Brissett 31st out of 32 NFL QB’s
Brissett ranked ahead of only Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson with the following explanation from PFF:
“Brissett is in the middle of a contract dispute with the Cardinals, as his $1.5 million guaranteed for 2026 is less than what his backup, Gardner Minshew II, is set to make. At 33 years old, Brissett is the definition of a bridge quarterback. He can provide solid play at the position, but he won’t win enough games to prevent his team from landing a top draft pick.
“Brissett is at his best when he plays on time. He finished seventh among qualifying quarterbacks in PFF passing grade on throws released in under 2.5 seconds (82.7) last season. On throws released after 2.5 seconds, he ranked 29th in PFF passing grade (57.3).”
The upside to Brissett is his ability to command an offense. He proved capable of spreading the ball around last season while his low interception percentage of 1.6% ranked just outside of the top ten for NFL quarterbacks.
LaFleur believes Brissett’s experience won’t hinder him from picking up Arizona’s offense as his holdout continues into the summer with hopes of landing a reworked contract.
“The hardest thing to do in this league is get used to the speed of the game, and even for not just the rookie, but the second-year, third-year guy, and he’s played a lot of football,” LaFleur said while Brissett wasn’t present at offseason team activities.
“He’s done probably everything that we’ve ever done schematically, it’s just a little bit different verbiage.”
The downside is Brissett’s ceiling isn’t exactly high. Pro Football Focus put it best: he’s a bridge quarterback. Brissett’s talent is manageable but not great enough to will Arizona to wins.
The reality check with Brissett’s low ranking is he likely won’t make it through the entire season.
The Cardinals aren’t favored to win any of their matchups entering 2026, and with a massive decision coming on 2027 and Carson Beck’s potential role in the future, they’ll need to see their rookie quarterback.
Banking on Brissett for wins will only take Arizona so far. Barring a surprising Joe Flacco-type of turnaround from Brissett late in his career, the Cardinals will likely find themselves in a position to relegate the vet from starting duties — perhaps earlier than some think.
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