TEMPE — The stars never aligned for a 2023 pairing of Jacoby Brissett and the Arizona Cardinals.
Despite the direct connection to offensive coordinator Drew Petzing and others within the coaching staff, coupled with Arizona’s need for a veteran signal caller with Kyler Murray on the mend from a torn ACL, Brissett opted for Washington.
The Cardinals surprisingly turned to Josh Dobbs to fill the void for eight games.
There were plenty of holes on the 2023 squad, but it felt like a missed opportunity at staying competitive without Murray in the mix while locking up a legit backup option and veteran voice in the process.
Two years later, though, the Cardinals didn’t let the opportunity slip. Last week, they inked the quarterback to a two-year deal.
Arizona Cardinals signal caller Jacoby Brissett already has a good idea about the offense having worked under OC Drew Petzing (and QBs coach Israel Woolfork) from their days in Cleveland. pic.twitter.com/dF6mA4R2AQ
— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) March 14, 2025
“The Cardinals called me and I was like, ‘Man, I’ve wanted to be here and be back with Drew and be with Israel. So (free agency) was kind of fast for me once I knew (they were interested),” Brissett said Friday.
“My relationship with Drew and (quarterbacks coach Israel Woolfork) and (head coach Jonathan Gannon) kind of drew me here a lot. I think if I can go to work with the people that I go to work with every day and enjoy going to work, then the football stuff will take care of itself.”
Jacoby Brissett’s Cardinals connections go beyond Drew Petzing, Israel Woolfork
In addition to Brissett’s stint in Cleveland with Petzing and Woolfork, the quarterback knows plenty about Gannon thanks to their three-year run together in Indianapolis (2018-2020).
And among the biggest things he remembers? That JG energy.
“His energy has been contagious. … I’ve always been a big fan of JG.”
More from Cardinals QB Jacoby Brissett on reuniting with head coach Jonathan Gannon. pic.twitter.com/8pBldeQQlf
— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) March 14, 2025
“I remember us going back and forth at Indy’s practices and things like that,” Brissett said of Gannon. “I always saw this trajectory for him being a head coach and being able to run and show himself. His energy has been contagious since I met him and I’ve always been a big fan of JG. I’m here to help continue the trajectory that he’s put this organization on these last couple of years here. I’m excited to see his growth.”
As for what Gannon told Brissett upon rejoining forces in 2025?
“He pretty much just told me, ‘Buckle up’ and this explicit word that is still going back from when we were competing against each other in practice,” Brissett said with a smile. “It’s good to see that he still remembers those days and like I said, I’m so excited that he’s got his opportunity. He’s taking full advantage of it.”
The connections don’t stop at Gannon, either, with Brissett and general manager Monti Ossenfort crossing paths as Patriots in 2016.
Realistic expectations for Jacoby Brissett
Brissett certainly has the familiarity to pick things up in a hurry, especially given the similarities he sees in Arizona’s offense compared to his time in Cleveland. He was not brought in to start, though.
Let’s get that out of the way right now.
After all we’ve heard from Gannon, general manager Monti Ossenfort and owner Michael Bidwill, Murray is firmly this team’s quarterback heading into the season.
Unlike Josh Sweat and Dalvin Tomlinson, two free agent signings who are expected to play a lot, the best-case scenario for Brissett is to never play a game.
But before you get all in a tizzy over Arizona shelling out $12.5 million across two years on a backup signal caller, Brissett could still have a big impact on the offense moving forward.
He may not light up the stat sheet for Arizona, but he can serve as another voice with a good understanding of the offense for Murray to bounce things off of. Having someone with a playing perspective of the offense is never a bad thing.
“In that room, you want allies. I think you want guys that have your back no matter what. I’m looking forward to that,” Brissett said when asked about how vital relationships are in the QBs room. “I don’t see it as any different than what I’ve been through in my career and I think the other quarterbacks in those rooms will vouch for me.”
There’s also the security blanket he brings to the roster, too.
Unlike Dobbs, who had just two starts under his belt before joining Arizona, Brissett brings plenty of starting experience with 53 games.
You won’t find many backup options around the league better than Brissett.