Jacoby Brissett Arizona Cardinals
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Jacoby Brissett #7 of the Arizona Cardinals.
There’s perhaps not a lot to get too excited about currently if you’re an Arizona Cardinals fan. With the team releasing quarterback Kyler Murray, the team appears to be in a bit of a reset mode.
Murray, who has since landed with the Minnesota Vikings, will now be replaced full time by Jacoby Brissett. A 10-year veteran, the job is now all his after filling in for a majority of the season for Murray last year.
While Brissett is serviceable, he likely doesn’t make the Cardinals anywhere close to a Super Bowl contender or even a playoff contender for that matter.
That’s why, unfairly or not, he gives Arizona an absolutely grim prediction for the 2026 season — though there may be hope moving forward.
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CBS Sports Predicts Cardinals Enter ‘Tank Race’ For 2027 NFL Draft
CBS Sports’ Garrett Podell didn’t pull any punches after assessing the Cardinals’ free agency moves thus far. While there were some notable additions, he continued to point to the loss of Murray and moving forward with Brissett as the main issue.
“The Arizona Cardinals have entered the 2027 NFL Draft tank race. With a new head coach in Mike LaFleur and allowing Kyler Murray to walk on over to the Minnesota Vikings, the Cardinals essentially declared they would be running it back with Jacoby Brissett,” Podell wrote.
Why the 2027 draft? Despite having the No. 3 overall pick, the Cardinals, like the rest of the league, aren’t seeing much talent at the quarterback position in this year’s draft. They’ll be out of the Fernando Mendoza sweepstakes more than likely with the Las Vegas Raiders picking No. 1 overall, and unless Ty Simpson falls to the second round, that’s their next best option.
The belief is that the 2027 draft class will be filled with top quarterback talent, including potentially Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning.
But for that to happen, Arizona would unfortunately have to once again be looking at another top-three, top-five pick — something they’ve become all too familiar with over the years.
Dating back to Murray’s No. 1 overall selection in 2019, the Cardinals have made four picks in the top 10.
Jacoby Brissett Era Could Signal Short-Term Pain For Long-Term Gain
Podell made it abundantly clear — don’t expect the Cardinals to rack up a bunch of wins in 2026, despite having made some key free agent signings.
The Cardinals earned a C grade from Podell thanks to the signings of running back Tyler Allgeier and guard Isaac Seumalo, who could help improve the offense alongside Marvin Harrison Jr., Trey McBride and Michael Wilson.
“…But the team’s quarterback position guarantees there won’t be much winning going on. That allows for an ideal setup for whoever the team drafts to be their new face-of-the-franchise quarterback next year,” Podell continued.
Statistically speaking, Brissett didn’t have the worst year in his first season in Arizona. Although he went 1-11 as a starter, he completed nearly 65% of his passes, throwing for 3,366 yards, 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions. It was the Cardinals’ league-worst defense that did him no favors.
But as a lifetime backup, his career record as a starter sits at 20-45. That may be exactly what the Cardinals are banking on — with eyes clearly set on the future, not the bleak present.
Podell wrapped it up bluntly: “LaFleur’s squad will essentially be taking a gap year in 2026, but the veterans added will allow for the team to be in a great place to plug in a rookie quarterback in 2027.”