Jacoby Brissett skipped the majority of the Arizona Cardinals' offseason in search of a new contract. As the team's projected QB1 entering the 2026 season, he expected to be paid as such. The two sides ultimately agreed on a reworked deal for $15.5 million guaranteed, roughly a $10 million raise for this year.
We're already seeing that prove worthwhile, with the veteran signal caller leading the Cardinals to a massive 26-14 Week 1 upset on the road over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Jacoby Brissett had the top Week 1 QB grade, per PFF
Brissett completed 27 of 37 passes for 277 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions. He finished with a PFF grade of 86.1, the highest among all QBs in Week 1!
Not to say this was a more impressive performance than Caleb Williams or even Josh Allen, but the fact that Brissett is even in this conversation early on goes to show that this was a good financial decision by Arizona.
Even with rookie guard Chase Bisontis out for the season with a torn MCL, their offensive line is getting relatively healthier compared to years past. But for Arizona, the standout trait of this offense is the amount of weapons Brissett has at his disposal.
Tight end Trey McBride predictably led all pass catchers with 9 receptions for 95 yards and a touchdown. Kendrick Bourne surprisingly emerged as the WR1 for this contest, which goes to show how difficult this offense is going to be to game plan against this season.
And thanks to his underrated pocket presence, Brissett, at the very least, is proving to be a good stopgap who can get these playmakers the ball when he has the time.
Jacoby Brissett is proving to be a strong stopgap for Cardinals
This Week 1 upset likely doesn't change much in the scheme of things as far as the Cardinals' playoff hopes go or how the quarterback situation plays out.
They still have a limited ceiling with Brissett, and likely need to land a higher-upside prospect at the position in the first round of the 2027 NFL Draft. But in the meantime, Brissett is proving to be more than capable of filling the void.
This Week 1 win was a prime example of how he rarely beats himself and can manage a game effectively when surrounded by the right pieces. The Cardinals likely can't rely on their defense to hold teams to 14 points going forward, and they still need to execute better in the red zone rather than settling for five field-goal attempts.
Most importantly, they're developing a new identity with first-year head coach Mike LaFleur in real time. Brissett already looks like the ideal glue guy to help implement that new system while they wait to find the long-term solution.
Since they didn't add any additional years to his reworked deal, it's hard to see it as anything other than a success, given how Brissett looked leading Arizona to its first of what will hopefully be a few upset wins in this transitional 2026 season.
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