Jacoby Brissett’s strong individual first season under center at Arizona, combined with the team’s offseason moves, has seen him get a seven-figure increase on his current deal. While this would delight the 33-year-old, Cardinals fans may not be too excited after his 1-11 run in 2025 and his words just days ahead of the team’s first preseason game.

When facing the media after his extension, the quarterback was asked if he was familiar with the offense, which will be run by new offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.

“Hell no,” Brissett said, via Bo Brack on X. “I think we just ran all day one plays out there for me today. So I got a long way to go. But again, I’m willing to put the work in.”

The quarterback made a lighthearted reference to how he would be willing to sacrifice his sleep and devote time to learn the offense.

Though he is willing to put in the work, it may not excite Cardinals fans, who want the team to bridge the vast gulf between themselves and their NFC West rivals. This is because it may not make for good hearing that the most experienced quarterback had not been in the building learning the new offensive system until camp opened.

Brissett skipped all of Arizona’s voluntary offseason workouts and OTAs this spring while holding out for a better contract, as NFL.com reported. He showed up to mandatory minicamp only to avoid a $107,911 fine for three days of absence.

The contract situation dragged on right into training camp. Brissett was originally in the second year of a two-year deal worth $4.88 million in base salary with only $1.5 million guaranteed, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported. For a quarterback Arizona had touted as their starter, that number was nowhere near market rate for a Week 1 signal-caller.

On Sunday, it finally got resolved with Brissett’s remaining one year being reworked to $15.5 million. Further incentives could push it to $21 million, as per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Before his July 2026 restructure, Jacoby Brissett’s base salary was far less than the $10.7 million to $14.3 million average annual values of rookie-deal starters like Caleb Williams, Anthony Richardson, Cam Ward, and this year’s No. 1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza.

Furthermore, among projected starting signal-callers who are past their rookie deals, Brissett remains at the absolute rock bottom.

Even with his new $15.5 million salary, he sits below veteran peers like Daniel Jones at a $19.18 million cap hit and Aaron Rodgers at a $22.5 million salary, while taking home exactly $22.40 million less than Sam Darnold’s $37.90 million cap hit.

Brissett was visibly relieved when he spoke after practice. He also revealed just how much the contract uncertainty had been weighing on him.

“It’s your livelihood, it’s business and it’s part of this game,” Brissett said. “You want to be out there with the guys, and that causes another stressor. I’m glad it’s over with.”

Head coach Mike LaFleur shares the same sentiment of it being over with. It now means his team can head into training camp with all key personnel in place.

The head coach commented on Brissett’s negotiation and deal when speaking to the media.

He said, “I’m happy for him, I’m happy for our team. It was productive. For it to get done sooner rather than later, it’s good.”

As the Rams’ former offensive coordinator, he would have seen how the Cardinals play football and may have formed his ideas to build on their strengths. One instance that comes to mind is when Arizona took a 20-16 lead against the Rams in Week 18.

However, the new coaches and coordinators will want to see who fits their system the best. LaFleur confirmed Brissett will work with the starters beginning Tuesday, but stopped short of committing to him as the Week 1 starter.

Training camp will see Brissett get reps along with Gardner Minshew II, Carson Beck and Kedon Slovis. The other three names will have an advantage as they are more familiar with the offensive schemes, but Brissett has been around the league largely as a backup. This has seen him adapt to various schemes, and the Cardinals’ new one should not prove to be too much of a challenge.

The veteran may also be keen to justify his new contract and build on the best season of his career in 2025.

He threw for 3,366 yards, 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions across 12 starts after taking over from an injured quarterback Kyler Murray in Week 6. The Cardinals went 1-11 in those games, suffering four one-score defeats. But Brissett’s individual performance was strong enough to earn consideration for the starting job heading into 2026. It also was strong enough to see the Cardinals bump up his pay.

It remains to be seen if this move pays dividends for the Cardinals in the highly competitive NFC West.