The Arizona Cardinals have been without presumed starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett through OTAs as he holds out for a new contract. That holdout is now over, though, as ESPN reports that he will be in attendance at Mandatory Minicamp.
Josh Weinfuss and Jeremy Fowler combined for the report. They noted, “Brissett was at risk of being fined a total of $107,911 if he didn’t show up, according to the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement. Brissett missed the entirety of Arizona’s Phase 1 and Phase 2 as well as all three of the Cardinals‘ OTAs.”
Brissett is currently in the second year of a two-year contract with the Cardinals. That will pay him $4.88 million, though only $1.5 million of that is guaranteed. It’s a mark that puts him 31st in average annual salary among quarterbacks, behind several backups and only beating out a couple of starters on their rookie deals.
Coming in to start a season ago for Kyler Murray, Brissett played well statistically. In 14 games and 12 starts, he completed 64.9% of his passes for 3,366 yards and 23 touchdowns to 8 interceptions. However, the wins did not follow for Arizona. The Cardinals were 1-11 in games he started.
Mandatory Minicamp for the Cardinals will begin on Tuesday, consisting of practices both Tuesday and Wednesday. A deal is unlikely to get done before then, and the two sides remain “significantly” far apart.
Arizona Cardinals HC Mike LaFleur on Jacoby Brissett Missing OTAs
GettyArizona Cardinals QB Jacoby Brissett
When Jacoby Brissett was preparing to miss OTAs earlier in the offseason, a major concern that popped up was how he’d transition to a new offense. After all, this is the first year for head coach Mike LaFleur, and he’s installing a new offense.
Despite that, LaFleur has publicly shared that he isn’t overly concerned about how Brissett is going to handle learning the offense. That’s because of the type of veteran Brissett is and the number of different offenses that he has played in.
“It’s not mandatory, right? Like I have said with Jacoby and all veterans I’ve ever been around, they’ve played football,” LaFleur said. “The hardest thing to do in this league is get used to the speed of the game. Not just rookies, but the second- and third-year guys. (Jacoby) has played a lot of football. He’s done probably everything we’ve ever done schematically, it’s just a little different verbiage. It’s the flip stuff, the speed of the game — if a rookie isn’t here, you’re like ‘Oh crap.’ Because it takes a minute.”
Brissett will have his opportunity to prove he didn’t miss a beat once Mandatory Minicamp begins. However, he does find himself in a growing quarterback competition with Gardner Minshew and even Carson Beck.
Gardner Minshew Spoke About the QB Competition for the Cardinals
GettyGardner Minshew with the Indianapolis Colts
As the shadow of Jacoby Brissett’s absence has hung over the Cardinals, questions have begun to fall on Gardner Minshew. In particular, on the chances that he could be pushing for the starting job.
“I know me and Jacoby, we’ve been in that before,” Gardner Minshew said. “It’s not anything new to us. At the end of the day, they’re going to play who they think is giving us the best shot. I’m not going out there against Jacoby, I’m going against the defense I’m playing. He’s not going against me. He’s going against the defense he’s playing, and we’re all just trying to do what it takes to win games.”
Like Brissett, Minshew is a career backup who has bounced around the NFL, getting opportunities to start from time to time. There’s an understanding there between them that the goal is to support one another.
“So, whatever that takes, however we’ve got to do it, we’re going to support each other,” Minshew said. “That’s one of the big things in the NFL. The quarterback room is kind of your safe haven, you know? And you’re going to need these guys as you’re going through the year. So, whatever the rotations is or whatever, it’s important that everybody’s together.”
Cardinals QB Jacoby Brissett Makes Decision on Holdout, Mandatory Minicamp