The Arizona Cardinals are in a quarterback conundrum. With Kyler Murray having a $52.66 million cap hit in 2026 and under contract for the next couple of years, the Cardinals must find a solution.
Jacoby Brissett, who started 12 games in 2025, has been mentioned as a potential bridge quarterback for Arizona. With the Cardinals owning the No. 3 pick and no “can’t miss” quarterback prospects available at that spot, it’s a terrible situation for Arizona to be in.
However, Brissett is now being linked as a trade target for the New York Jets, per NFL insider Connor Hughes. With the Jets recently hiring Frank Reich to be their offensive coordinator, this could be a fit for both sides.
Why Does This Make Sense for Brissett and the Arizona Cardinals?
With Jets quarterbacks Justin Fields and Tyrod Taylor not expected to return, this already makes sense for New York. It also makes sense for Brissett.
Reich was Brissett’s head coach with the Indianapolis Colts during the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Brissett started 15 games in 2019 after the unexpected retirement of quarterback Andrew Luck.
During those 15 games, Brissett completed 60.9% of passes for 2942 yards, 18 touchdowns and six interceptions. Then, he was benched for Philip Rivers in the 2020 season.
A reunion with Reich makes a lot of sense for Brissett, who enjoyed one of his best seasons with the now-Jets offensive coordinator.
A change of scenery could be best for Arizona and Brissett, who will be entering his age-34 season.
Because Murray will potentially be on the move as well, the Cardinals are in a situation no team wants.
Arizona may have to find another cheaper option to lead the team in 2026, while they look for a quarterback in the 2027 draft.
There is still a possibility that Murray will be on the Cardinals’ roster for 2026. However, his roster bonus is $17 million in March, making it unlikely he’s on the team by then.
While it’s unclear what Brissett would fetch in a trade, it wouldn’t be much.
What Did Brissett do With the Cardinals in 2025?
After Murray was effectively benched five games into the 2025 season, Brissett took over for the remainder of the season.
Although Brissett reached career highs in many categories (passing yards, touchdowns and completion percentage), the results were less than desired.
Brissett threw for 3366 yards, with 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions. The team went 1-11 in his 12 starts. While the results weren’t all on Brissett, a lot of those stats came in the second half of games, with the team already down big.
With the team heavily injured, especially the defense, Brissett struggled early in games, only to find his footing late.
With Marvin Harrison Jr., James Conner and other offensive weapons missing significant time, it wasn’t all on Brissett, but he was a scapegoat nonetheless.
While the quarterback change in Arizona wasn’t enough to salvage a disastrous season, the Cardinals could have a completely different quarterback room going into 2026.
Cardinals QB Linked to Jets Following Recent OC Hire