Jacoby Brissett Gets His Raise in Arizona, But the QB1 Job Isn't His Yet
Brissett was set to earn a max $5.39M with just $1.5M guaranteed before the new deal. Now he has to beat out two QBs to start Week 1.
Contract's settled, but the starting job is still a three-man fight.
- Old deal: max $5.39M, only $1.5M guaranteed
- 2025: 3,366 pass yds, 23 TD, 8 INT in 14 games
- 233 PPR points, QB17 on TurfSplit
- Must beat Minshew and Beck for Week 1
- Skipped voluntary offseason program
Jacoby Brissett finally got the contract he held out for, and he's not hiding the relief. The Cardinals quarterback said Sunday the standoff cost him sleep — three hours a night by his count — as the negotiation dragged from the offseason he partially skipped all the way into training camp. His old number: a max of $5.39 million in 2026 with just $1.5 million guaranteed, which for a presumptive starter reads more like a backup's floor.
Brissett framed the raise as a matter of self-respect and called it part of the business of football. Fair enough. But here's the part fantasy managers should circle: getting paid and getting the job are two different things. Coach Mike LaFleur has only committed to Brissett working with the starters on Tuesday — not naming him QB1. Brissett still has to fend off Gardner Minshew and Carson Beck to open Week 1 under center.
Why the Battle Matters
Brissett isn't a fantasy nobody. He put up 3,366 passing yards, 23 touchdowns and only 8 interceptions across 14 games in 2025, added 168 rushing yards and a score, and finished as QB17 on TurfSplit's board with 233 PPR points. That's a usable streaming line — not a set-and-forget QB1, but a real body in a pinch, especially in matchup-based leagues.
The problem is the ceiling on a quarterback who has to win his job in camp. Beck is a younger arm with upside, and Minshew has enough NFL reps to steal snaps if Brissett stumbles early. Until LaFleur actually names a Week 1 starter, everyone in this room is a projection, not a plan.
The Fantasy Fallout
Treat Brissett as a late-round dart or a waiver-wire name to monitor through August, not a draft-day target. If he's officially handed the keys, his 2025 numbers justify a QB2 flier in single-QB leagues and a legit starter in superflex. If Beck or Minshew makes noise, drop him down your board fast. For now: watch, don't commit. His joke about going right back to three hours of sleep tells you the pressure's just shifting from the contract to the depth chart.
