Between trading Marvin Harrison Jr. to the Houston Texans and allowing the Detroit Lions to score 45 points, Week 5 really put loyalty to the test for Arizona Cardinals fans. It felt like a turning point not only in their season but also in their rebuild, knowing that they must change course.
That should start with signal caller Jacoby Brissett, who has been underwhelming while leading the Cardinals to a 1-4 start. While head coach Mike LaFleur has publicly stated he won't make the quarterback swap in Week 6 against the Los Angeles Rams, this seems like a matter of "when" as opposed to "if" the Cardinals make a change at the position this season.
Jacoby Brissett’s seat isn’t nearly as hot as it should be
The Cardinals weren't alone in Week 5 serving as a turning point in the season of sorts. ESPN's Bill Barnwell recently named 15 players and coaches around the league who are on the hot seat entering Week 6, adding that this is the point in the season where seats start heating up. It shouldn't come as a surprise that Brissett is listed among those players.
"The Cardinals aren't particularly motivated to win games this season given the likelihood that they'll draft a quarterback in 2026. They're also likely interested in seeing what they have in third-round pick Carson Beck, who posted a 125.4 passer rating in the preseason. If there's a trade market for Brissett at the deadline, the Cardinals might consider just moving forward with Beck and Gardner Minshew II as their two options under center. And if not, Brissett might be sitting behind the rookie by the time we get to November anyway," writes Barnwell.
Perhaps the most significant issue Barnwell identifies with Brissett and this Cardinals offense is their lack of explosives. He mentions the fact that Brissett is averaging just 5.6 yards per attempt, while their explosive play rate of 5.5 percent ranks dead last.
Arizona isn't effectively moving the ball downfield, raising the question of why they even decided to listen to Brissett's contract demands this offseason. There's not a significant enough gap between Brissett and veteran Gardner Minshew II for Brissett to have leverage in those negotiations. Yet Arizona paid Brissett roughly $10 million more to remain this team's starting quarterback after finishing with just three wins all of last season. It shouldn't come as a surprise that they're experiencing a similar lack of success this season.
That doesn't entirely fall on Brissett, as there are glaring roster flaws on both sides of the ball. But we're also learning that Brissett is nothing more than a replacement-level starter. He's a floor raiser who can sustain offenses. Under ideal circumstances, with a strong offensive line, Brissett even at times looks like he belongs as a starter in this league. The rebuilding Cardinals don't find themselves in that situation where they can get the most out of Brissett. In fact, retaining Brissett is only getting in the way of them building that infrastructure by fully embracing their rebuild.
It would be one thing if Brissett were an effective veteran stopgap in the sense of helping get the most out of the Cardinals' young offensive weapons. Well, Marvin Harrison Jr. isn't even on this team anymore, which tells you everything you need to know with regard to how that's going.
Brissett isn't the reason for the Cardinals' problems, but he's not the answer either. In fact, I'd argue that he's more of a roadblock in them figuring out what that right answer is. That's why there should be more of a sense of urgency for Arizona to move on.
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