The main storyline of the Arizona Cardinals’ upset of the Los Angeles Chargers was the play of Jacoby Brissett. Head coach Mike LaFleur appeared on the Pat McAfee Show to discuss his starting quarterback’s performance.
“I always had a lot of respect for him as a player,” said LaFleur. “Never coached with him, but you feel like you played him almost every year for what seems like a dozen years. And every time you go, you just know you’re going to get good quality quarterback play.”
We’re on the same page with what he likes and he was excellent on Sunday” ~ Mike LaFleur
#PMSLiveDespite 2026 being the first year of his long career as an unquestioned starter in the NFL, Brissett played like an 11-year veteran. He expertly maneuvered the Cardinals offense, completing 27 of 37 passes for 277 yards and a touchdown in the air.
The good quality quarterback play showed up on the scoreboard. Arizona scored six times on their 10 non-kneeldown possessions in the game: two touchdowns and four field goals.
Cardinals HC Mike LaFleur on Relationship with QB Jacoby Brissett
The first order of business for the Cardinals under head coach Mike LaFleur was to secure their quarterback situation. They hammered out a deal for the 2026 season with Jacoby Brissett to get him ready to go in training camp. LaFleur spoke about their growing relationship.
“Having the ability to get to know him once training camp started and start to build that relationship, I knew he was a great guy. So I knew there was going to be no issues there. And then I also know there’s going to be no issues in terms of learning our system.”
LaFleur mentioned the difficulty of a young quarterback learning the speed of the game. He was in that situation as the offensive coordinator of the New York Jets, having to develop Zach Wilson in his first two years in the NFL.
That’s not an issue for Brissett, who entered the season with 65 career starts.
“So all it was really from our perspective was getting on the same page of what he likes, what our verbiage is, what our language is, how we our cadences, where our operation means to us. But when the ball is snapped, it’s going to be a lot of similar concepts that he’s ran.”
Mike LaFleur on Jacoby Brissett’s Performance Against Chargers
Jacoby Brissett was the leader of the Cardinals offense against the Chargers. In addition to his own performance, he orchestrated a unit that gained 393 yards with very few negative plays on the day.
“It’s been awesome, the way he approached it,” said head coach Mike LaFleur. “I thought he was excellent on game day just with his demeanor. Take it one play at a time.”
LaFleur admitted that having a veteran quarterback like Brissett helped him with calling plays.
“His calmness helps me because I’m an absolute psychopath on game days.”
If Week 1 serves as the initial return, the relationship between LaFleur and Brissett should bear fruit. They’ll face two tough opponents inside the division later this month, with the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers on deck.
Cardinals HC Makes Strong Jacoby Brissett Statement After Chargers Upset