Former New England Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett was the Arizona Cardinals’ clear veteran starter in the aftermath of a noteworthy raise.
Five games later, his grip on the job looks far less secure.
ESPN analyst Bill Barnwell placed Brissett on his NFL “hot seat” list entering Week 6 and raised two possibilities that could end his run as Arizona’s starter: a trade before the Nov. 10 deadline or a move to rookie Carson Beck later this season.
That’s a dramatic turn for Brissett, who agreed to a reworked contract in July that increased his 2026 compensation to $15.5 million guaranteed and gave him the opportunity to earn as much as $21 million. NFL.com reported the deal didn’t extend his contract past this season.
The Arizona Cardinals are 1-4 after four consecutive losses, and the offense has struggled to generate explosive plays despite Brissett posting respectable traditional passing numbers.
Arizona now has a decision to make about how long it wants its veteran bridge quarterback to remain behind center.
Brissett on NFL Hot Seat
Brissett has completed 66.3% of his passes for 1,110 yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions through five games.
The efficiency underneath those totals has become the larger concern.
Barnwell noted that Brissett is averaging only 5.6 yards per attempt and ranks 30th among quarterbacks in yards per dropback. Arizona also owns the NFL’s lowest explosive-play rate on offense at 5.5%.
Three of Brissett’s five interceptions came during Arizona’s Week 4 loss to the New York Giants. His final throw became a pick-six with the Cardinals trying to score in the closing seconds.
Brissett followed that performance by throwing for 292 yards and three touchdowns against the Detroit Lions, but Arizona lost 45-21. One of his interceptions came on a Hail Mary.
The big looming issue is the Cardinals’ direction.
Arizona traded wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. to the Houston Texans this month and is accumulating assets for the future.
Barnwell wrote that if a trade market develops for Brissett, the Cardinals could move forward with Beck and Gardner Minshew II.
Even without a trade, Barnwell suggested Brissett might be sitting behind Beck by November.
Head coach Mike LaFleur hasn’t made that move yet. Asked this week about changing Beck’s role for Week 6, LaFleur said there was “nothing new for this week,” keeping the rookie behind Brissett and Minshew.
Patriots Drafted Brissett Before Jimmy Garoppolo Trade
Brissett’s connection to New England goes back a decade.
The Patriots selected the North Carolina State product in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft. He was thrust into action while Tom Brady served his four-game suspension and Jimmy Garoppolo dealt with a shoulder injury.
Brissett appeared in three games and made two starts as a rookie, helping New England survive the opening period before Brady returned.
The Patriots traded Brissett to the Indianapolis Colts for wide receiver Phillip Dorsett before the 2017 season.
He returned to New England in 2024, beginning that season as the starter before rookie Drake Maye took over. Brissett completed 59% of his passes for 826 yards, two touchdowns and one interception during that second Patriots stint.
Brissett has since assembled one of the league’s longest careers for a journeyman quarterback. Arizona became his sixth NFL organization, and his strong finish to 2025 helped convince the Cardinals to make him their full-time starter this year.
NFL Network reported in July that Arizona increased Brissett’s 2026 compensation from the $4.88 million base salary he had previously been scheduled to earn. The reworked deal didn’t add an extra season, meaning he’s on track for unrestricted free agency after 2026.
That creates an obvious deadline for both sides.
Arizona can continue riding with a veteran it invested heavily in only a few months ago, or it can begin evaluating Beck as part of its rebuild.
Brissett’s few games ahead could determine which direction the Cardinals choose — and if the ex-Patriots quarterback even finishes the season in Arizona.
Former Patriots QB Lands on Hot Seat After $21 Million Deal