The Arizona Cardinals reworked Jacoby Brissett's deal this offseason, paying him roughly a $10 million increase from $4.88 million to $15.5 million. That ended his holdout.
Brissett, projected as the team's QB1, wanted pay reflective of a starting quarterback. The only problem with this decision was that just because Brissett is starting at quarterback doesn't mean he should be.
It's strange that he even had leverage considering he led the Cardinals to a three-win season the year before. Those struggles predictably carried over into the 2026 season, raising the question of why general manager Monti Ossenfort wanted to run this thing back with Brissett.
Jacoby Brissett's reworked deal looks even worse after benching
At least this time around, they added reinforcements, drafting third-round rookie Carson Beck and signing veteran Gardner Minshew II to a one-year, $8.25 million deal. Minshew is already proving to be an underrated signing after leading the Cardinals to a surprising comeback win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 8.
He was far more productive than Brissett when it came to unlocking Arizona's offensive weapons and executing in the red zone. The Cardinals had a 20-point fourth quarter led by Minshew, completing the win in overtime 33-30 on a game-winning field goal from kicker Chad Ryland -- redemption for the extra point missed at the end of regulation that put Arizona in that position in the first place.
Minshew was efficient in limited action, completing 17-of-23 pass attempts for 188 yards and 3 touchdowns, for a 68.6 QBR. But compare that to Brissett: 10-of-23 pass attempts for 119 yards, 1 interception, and a 13.3 QBR.
Minshew arguably should've started even earlier, given the Cardinals' weekly red-zone struggles under Brissett. But this further confirms that Minshew should be QB1 going forward.
They also could consider selling high on Minshew after this comeback, exploring the market before the Nov. 10 trade deadline. But unfortunately for the Cardinals, it's likely going to be more difficult to move Brissett. Not only has he failed to produce this season, but he's also the more expensive option thanks to Ossenfort's questionable decision to rework his deal.
At least the Cardinals have Brissett coming off the books after this season on an expiring contract. But with Mike LaFleur switching to Minshew, one has to wonder if this is the end of the Brissett era for good as a starter.
This was unfortunately predictable, which is why most Cardinals fans questioned the decision to rework Brissett's deal in the first place. Giving in to those holdout demands after a three-win season is committing further to mediocrity. We've seen that continue to be the case with the Cardinals now at 3-5, but fortunately Minshew Mania was able to bail them out against the Cowboys this Sunday.
Minshew may be the answer for this team in the short term, and the decision to sign him this offseason looks even better after his heroics against Dallas. But that is also inversely tied to the decision to rework Brissett's deal, which looks worse than ever after this justified benching that ultimately paid off for LaFleur and the Cardinals.
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