A contract standoff didn’t stop Jacoby Brissett from showing up for Arizona Cardinals mini-camp this week. The quarterback returns after being absent from OTAs, even as the NFL could fine him close to $108,000 if he doesn’t participate.
When Jacoby Brissett was expected to keep skipping Arizona Cardinals OTAs over his contract standoff, it looked like the impasse would roll into the next phase of camp. Then Sunday’s update landed with a quiet jolt: Brissett will attend the team’s mini-camp this week.
The news signals movement for a Cardinals team that can’t afford distractions as preparations ramp up. Brissett had been absent from the Cardinals’ OTAs amid his disagreement with the front office. a holdout tied to his demand for a raise. This season. he is due to receive $4.9 million. and the gap between what he wants and what the team has offered has been the backdrop to everything.
The decision to show up doesn’t erase the tension, though. Brissett is also in position to face discipline under the league’s rules—he could be fined close to $108,000 if he doesn’t show for the mini-camp, per the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement. For now, he’s coming.
Brissett’s return matters for a simple reason: the quarterback has already shown last season that he can produce when he’s in the building and executing the plan. In his maiden stint with the Cardinals, he passed for career-highs of 3,366 yards and 25 touchdowns in 14 games.
Arizona enters this stretch after finishing with a 3-14 record. That reality turns every week of camp into more than routine offseason work. It also makes Brissett’s presence—however partial—feel heavier than it would for a team already stable at quarterback.
The timeline still isn’t fully closed. Brissett’s attendance at mini-camp is a positive sign for Arizona, but the holdout hasn’t been declared over. More details are expected to come as the contract situation plays out and the Cardinals try to keep their offseason focus on football rather than negotiations.
Jacoby Brissett Arizona Cardinals OTAs mini-camp contract standoff NFL fines 3-14 record quarterback