Jacoby Brissett wants his starter-level money, but the Cardinals may be eyeing other options.
Brissett is slated to make $9.06 million in 2026 with only $1.5 million guaranteed this year and is likely seeking some extra security — and is planning to skip Phase 1 of the Cardinals offseason program, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Rapoport’s NFL Media teammate Daniel Jeremiah sees another leverage play in mind.
“Ty Simpson to AZ feels inevitable,” he wrote on X in response.
Brissett is coming off a career year for the Cardinals, where he threw for 3,366 yards, 23 touchdowns, and eight interceptions while Kyler Murray was sidelined most of the year with an injury.
Murray was released by Arizona and signed with the Vikings, where he will be competing with J.J. McCarthy.
Simpson, the former Alabama quarterback, is a projected first-round pick and one of the most polarizing prospects in next week’s draft.
Some believe Simpson will fall to the second round, while others think he should be considered a top-10 pick in a draft mostly bereft of top quarterback talent.
Fernando Mendoza is all but officially selected as the No. 1 in the 2026 NFL Draft, and most have Simpson selected late in the first round.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has Simpson projected to be go No. 30 overall to the Cardinals — in a trade with the Dolphins.
Arizona is in flux as the draft nears, looking to rebuild its team in the post-Murray era.
