Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur is without Jacoby Brissett for the start of the club's voluntary offseason program, but the rookie head coach isn't worried about the continued absence of the veteran quarterback.
"It's not mandatory, right? Like I've said with Jacoby and all veterans I've ever been around, they've played football," LaFleur told reporters Monday. "The hardest thing to do in this league is get used to the speed of the game. Not just the rookie, but the second-year, third-year guy, and he's played a lot of football. He's done probably everything that we've ever done schematically, it's just a little bit different verbiage. It's the flip stuff, getting used to the game, like if a rookie's not here or a second-year guy's not here, you're like, 'Oh, crap,' because it takes a minute."
Brissett is away from the team as he seeks a raise in salary for the 2026 season, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday. It's a continuation of a stance that began with him sitting out Phase 1 of Arizona's offseason program in April.
Following an injury to Kyler Murray early last season, Brissett took the starting reigns and never looked back during his first campaign with the Cardinals. The 33-year-old instantly jolted Arizona's passing attack despite producing only one win 12 starts, finishing with 3,366 passing yards and 23 touchdowns (eight interceptions).
Brissett played considerably well on a struggling team and is looking to be paid like a starting QB in 2026, especially with Murray's tenure in Arizona ending this offseason. While the Cardinals aren't ready to name a starting QB for the upcoming season, Brissett is seen by many as the team's likely starter.
"We've had contact," LaFleur said when asked about the status of contract talks with Brissett. "I'll keep it at that."
In Brissett's absence, veteran Gardner Minshew is expected to see plenty of first-team snaps as he prepares for his first season in Arizona, and third-round rookie Carson Beck also figures to see practice time with the starting offense. Second-year QB Kedon Slovis is also on the roster.