What Happened to Jacoby Brissett?
Jacoby Brissett is an American professional football quarterback currently playing for the Arizona Cardinals. After being drafted by the New England Patriots in 2016, he has had a journeyman career, serving as both a starter and backup for multiple NFL teams before landing with the Cardinals in 2025, where he recently secured a restructured contract as their likely starting quarterback for the 2026 season.
Quick Answer
As of July 26, 2026, Jacoby Brissett is the starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals. He recently agreed to a reworked one-year contract worth $15.5 million guaranteed, with incentives up to $21 million, resolving an offseason contract dispute. Brissett took over as the Cardinals' starter in 2025 after Kyler Murray's injury and is now poised to lead the team in the upcoming season.
📊Key Facts
📅Complete Timeline13 events
Drafted by New England Patriots
Jacoby Brissett was selected by the New England Patriots in the third round (91st overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft.
Traded to Indianapolis Colts
After his rookie season, Brissett was traded to the Indianapolis Colts, where he quickly became the primary starting quarterback.
Primary Starter for Colts
Brissett served as the primary starting quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts for the full 2019 season, throwing for 2,942 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Signed with Miami Dolphins
Brissett signed a one-year contract with the Miami Dolphins, serving as a backup and making several starts.
Signed with Cleveland Browns
He signed a one-year deal with the Cleveland Browns and started 11 games due to Deshaun Watson's suspension, achieving career highs in completion percentage and passer rating.
Signed with Washington Commanders
Brissett joined the Washington Commanders, continuing his role as a veteran backup and making limited appearances.
Returned to New England Patriots
Brissett signed a one-year deal to return to the New England Patriots and was named the Week 1 starter before being benched later in the season.
Signed with Arizona Cardinals
Brissett signed a two-year, $12.5 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals, initially as a backup to Kyler Murray.
Became Cardinals' Starting QB
After Kyler Murray's injury, Brissett was named the starting quarterback for the Cardinals in Week 6, starting the remainder of the season.
Set NFL Completion Record
In a game against the San Francisco 49ers, Brissett completed 47 of 57 passes for 452 yards, setting an NFL record for most pass completions in a regular season game.
Finished Strong 2025 Season with Cardinals
Brissett concluded the 2025 season with 3,366 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions in 12 starts, despite the team's 1-11 record in those games.
Contract Stalemate Begins with Cardinals
Brissett began skipping voluntary offseason activities, seeking a new contract that would pay him as a starting quarterback, given his expected role for 2026.
Agrees to Reworked Contract with Cardinals
Jacoby Brissett and the Arizona Cardinals reached an agreement on a restructured one-year contract worth $15.5 million guaranteed, with incentives up to $21 million, solidifying his role as the team's starting quarterback.
🔍Deep Dive Analysis
Jacoby Brissett's NFL journey began in 2016 when he was selected by the New England Patriots in the third round of the NFL Draft. After a brief rookie season with the Patriots, which included a Super Bowl LI championship, he was traded to the Indianapolis Colts in 2017. This move marked a significant turning point, as Brissett stepped into a starting role for the Colts in both the 2017 and 2019 seasons, showcasing his ability to lead an offense despite varying team success (Source: Wikipedia, 2025; Pro-Football-Reference.com, 2026). His tenure in Indianapolis established him as a capable, albeit often overlooked, NFL quarterback.
Following his time with the Colts, Brissett embarked on a period as a valuable veteran backup and occasional starter, playing for the Miami Dolphins (2021), Cleveland Browns (2022), and Washington Commanders (2023). In each of these stops, he demonstrated reliability and leadership, often stepping in due to injuries or performance issues of other quarterbacks. His stint with the Browns in 2022, in particular, saw him start 11 games, completing 64% of his passes for 2,608 yards and 12 touchdowns, achieving career highs in completion percentage and passer rating (Source: NFL.com, 2026).
In 2024, Brissett returned to the New England Patriots on a one-year deal, initially named the starter over rookie Drake Maye. However, after a 1-4 start, he was benched in favor of Maye. His most recent significant career move came in March 2025, when he signed a two-year, $12.5 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals. He became the team's starting quarterback in Week 6 of the 2025 season after Kyler Murray suffered an injury. Despite the Cardinals finishing 1-11 in his 12 starts, Brissett had a productive season, throwing for 3,366 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions, and notably setting an NFL record for most pass completions in a regular season game with 47 (Source: Wikipedia, 2025; NFL.com, 2026; Arizona Sports, 2026).
The offseason leading up to the 2026 season saw a contract dispute emerge. Brissett, who was set to earn only $1.5 million guaranteed in the final year of his deal, sought a raise commensurate with a starting quarterback. He skipped voluntary offseason workouts and held in during mandatory minicamp to press for a new agreement. This situation created uncertainty around the Cardinals' quarterback position, despite new head coach Mike LaFleur expressing confidence in Brissett's fit for the system (Source: Arizona Sports, 2026; NFL.com, 2026). The stalemate was resolved on July 26, 2026, when Brissett and the Cardinals agreed to a restructured one-year deal worth $15.5 million guaranteed, with incentives that could push it to $21 million. This new contract solidifies his role as the likely Week 1 starter for the Arizona Cardinals, allowing him to focus on building on his strong 2025 performance and further developing chemistry with key offensive players like Michael Wilson and Trey McBride, who both had career years under his leadership (Source: ESPN, 2026; NFL Network, 2026; Sports Illustrated, 2026).
What If...?
Explore alternate histories. What if Jacoby Brissett made different choices?