After skipping every voluntary practice and organized team activity this offseason, Jacoby Brissett is heading back to Tempe. The Arizona Cardinals quarterback is set to appear at the team’s mandatory minicamp this week, choosing to end his holdout rather than face six figures in league-mandated fines.
The timing was driven in part by financial reality. Under the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement, Brissett was looking at more than $107,000 in fines had he continued to stay away. With no new contract in sight, attending became the more sensible option, even if it means arriving without the security he has been pushing for all spring.
A contract gap that remains wide open
Brissett wants a restructured deal for the 2026 season, the second year of a two-year agreement he signed in March 2025. His current contract pays him $4.88 million with incentives that could push it to $5.39 million. Of that total, only $1.5 million is guaranteed, a number that has been a sticking point in the ongoing negotiations.
The disparity becomes sharper when compared to Gardner Minshew, whom Arizona brought in as a free agent this past March. Minshew received $5.14 million in fully guaranteed money for 2026, a figure that reportedly fueled Brissett’s desire for a revised deal. That gap in guaranteed compensation has made it difficult for both sides to find common ground, and as recently as May, the two parties were described as being significantly far apart on a resolution.
A new deal is not expected to be finalized before the minicamp concludes. Brissett will participate without any updated terms in place, leaving his financial situation unchanged for now.
What his presence actually means on the field
While Brissett is expected to be present at Tuesday and Wednesday practices, how much he actually participates physically remains to be seen. His on-field workload during the minicamp is still uncertain, which raises questions about his preparation as the team’s presumed starting quarterback heading into the regular season.
Despite the offseason drama, Brissett arrives with legitimate momentum from his 2025 performance. He started 12 games for Arizona after stepping in for an injured Kyler Murray in Week 6 and proceeded to play some of the best football of his career. From that point through the end of the season, he led all quarterbacks in dropbacks, play-action attempts, completions and total attempts. He ranked second in passing yards and fourth in completion percentage above expected, numbers that have given him genuine leverage in these contract discussions.
The bigger picture in Arizona
The Cardinals enter this minicamp with a quarterback room that includes both Brissett and Minshew, creating a competition that is still taking shape. Brissett was told earlier this offseason that he would be the team’s starter, giving him a clear advantage in the depth chart battle even as the contractual tension lingers.
For now, showing up is the statement. Whether a deal follows before the season begins is a separate story entirely, and one that Arizona’s front office will need to resolve if it wants its starting quarterback fully bought in before the games begin to matter.
