The Cardinals' Jacoby Brissett Saga is the Most Embarrassing in the NFL
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Aaron Rodgers’ story was weird to watch unfold.
Pittsburgh wanted him back, but reportedly set a deadline before the 2026 NFL Draft. Rodgers didn’t take their calls, waited until after they chose quarterback Drew Allar, and then finally struck a one-year deal with the team for the upcoming season.
It was awkward, but at least you can build an argument that Rodgers is one of the greatest QBs of all time and that the Steelers, as a whole, have good enough pieces to contend in the AFC North.
That’s not the case in Arizona with the Cardinals, who are also in an awkward disagreement with their projected starting signal-caller, Jacoby Brissett, who is holding out for more money from the franchise and sitting out of minicamp.
Whereas the Rodgers and Steelers saga was confusing, the Cardinals and Brissett are just plain sad.
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It’s arguably the worst team in all of football, with a fanbase fed up with its ownership and a backup QB who might be a third-stringer on some of the best squads in the league.
I understand where Brissett is coming from, who is only making a little over $6 million next year and tasked with being the starting QB of an NFL franchise. But it also underlines the absurdity that is happening in Arizona, where the majority of the fanbase is already looking towards the 2027 NFL Draft, dreaming of Arch Manning or Dante Moore.
On Friday, it was reported that the Cardinals and Brissett are “far away” on an agreement. For Arizona, they could easily just throw rookie QB Carson Beck to the wolves and see if he can sink or swim. And for Brissett, he’s 33; if he can get one last big payday, then it’s great for him. If the Cardinals bench him or trade him, he might end up in a better environment.
It’s a saga where the Arizona fans are the biggest losers, watching a QB they don’t believe in fighting an ownership they don’t believe in.
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This story was originally published May 22, 2026 at 8:37 PM.