Jacoby Brissett Cardinals contract rises to $15.5 million guaranteed
ESPN says Arizona reworked Jacoby Brissett’s 2026 pay, lifting it from $4.88 million while keeping him on track for free agency.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Jacoby Brissett’s Cardinals contract just got a lot richer, with Arizona and the veteran quarterback agreeing to a one-year adjustment that guarantees him $15.5 million for 2026, according to ESPN.
The revised deal can climb to $21 million through incentives, ESPN reported. It is a sharp raise from the $4.88 million base salary Brissett had been due in the second season of his two-year agreement with Arizona.
The extra money does not come with extra time. CBS Sports reported that the deal does not add any seasons, leaving the 33-year-old quarterback scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2026 campaign.
What is Jacoby Brissett's Cardinals contract?
Brissett’s updated Cardinals deal guarantees him $15.5 million for the 2026 season and could be worth as much as $21 million if he reaches incentives, according to ESPN. Because no years were added, it functions as a pay raise for the existing final year of his contract rather than a long-term extension.
The agreement comes after a quiet contract standoff during the offseason. CBS Sports reported that Brissett missed most of Arizona’s offseason program while looking for a new deal.
When practices opened this week, Brissett was on the field, though he did not take part in 11-on-11 work, according to CBS Sports. Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur still sounded comfortable with where the quarterback stands in the offense.
“He's a smart dude, he's played a lot of football,” LaFleur said, according to the team’s website. “It's learning a whole different language. I'm not going to put any kind of (timeline) on that. ... I like where he's at from a learning standpoint.”
Why Brissett is set up as Arizona’s Week 1 starter
Brissett joined the Cardinals in 2025 and began last season as the No. 2 quarterback behind Kyler Murray. He wound up starting 12 of the 14 games he played after Murray was injured, according to CBS Sports.
Those starts produced a 1-11 record for Brissett, while Arizona finished 3-14. His passing numbers were livelier than the record: CBS Sports reported he threw for 3,366 yards, 23 touchdowns, which marked a career high, and eight interceptions.
Murray, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, was released by Arizona and signed with the Minnesota Vikings this offseason, according to CBS Sports. With Murray gone, Brissett is positioned to enter Week 1 as the Cardinals’ starter.
Arizona’s quarterback room also includes Gardner Minshew and Carson Beck, CBS Sports reported.
Brissett’s long NFL road
The Cardinals are Brissett’s sixth NFL team, with CBS Sports noting that he has changed teams seven times because of two separate runs with the New England Patriots.
New England drafted Brissett 91st overall in 2016. He later played for the Indianapolis Colts from 2017 through 2020, then spent one season each with the Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns and Washington Commanders before returning to the Patriots in 2024, according to CBS Sports.
Brissett also owns the NFL record for completions in a regular-season game, with 47 for Arizona in 2025, CBS Sports reported.
The Cardinals are scheduled to open their regular season Sept. 13 on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.