Jacoby Brissett Skips Cardinals OTA amid Contract Holdout Ahead of 2026 NFL Season

Jacoby Brissett is continuing his holdout.

The Arizona Cardinals quarterback didn't report for voluntary organized team activities on Monday as he seeks a new contract, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Brissett, 33, is the de facto starter for the rebuilding Cardinals heading into the 2026 season, with veteran Gardner Minshew II and rookie Carson Beck as the backups. He's set to make $4.8 million in base salary, with roster bonuses and incentives he's likely to hit taking his total payday closer to the $7.4 million mark.

Still, that's backup money. But just how much leverage he has in this contract dispute is debatable.

Brissett played well in 2025, throwing for 3,366 yards, 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions across 14 games, completing 64.9 percent of his passes. But the Cardinals were just 1-11 in his starts.

The Cardinals aren't exactly in win-now mode, and Minshew is probably capable of leading them to one win in 12 tries. Or the Cardinals could use this season to evaluate Beck ahead of a 2027 NFL draft where they are widely expected to use a first-round pick on a quarterback.

So given where the Cardinals are in their rebuild, does a Brissett holdout really impact their plans all that deeply? It's obviously not ideal, and he's well within his rights to seek a raise, but he sure seems to be fighting an uphill battle. Perhaps a compromise will be reached—he's still their best option at the most important position on the field—but the leverage is firmly on the organization's side.