Why the Arizona Cardinals Quarterback Deserves a Raise Despite the Criticism

When most NFL contract disputes become public, fans immediately assume one thing:
The player wants more money than he's worth.

That's the narrative currently surrounding Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett.

But what if the situation is being viewed backward?

What if this isn't a story about a quarterback demanding star money?

What if it's a story about a quarterback who signed a backup contract, became a starter, produced under difficult circumstances, and now wants his compensation to reflect the reality of his role?

That distinction matters because it changes the entire conversation.

The debate shouldn't be whether Jacoby Brissett deserves to be paid like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, or Joe Burrow.

The debate should be whether the Cardinals can reasonably expect a starting quarterback to continue playing on a contract that was originally negotiated for a backup.

When viewed through that lens, Brissett's position becomes much easier to understand.

Jacoby Brissett Signed a Backup Contract
When Brissett agreed to his current contract with Arizona, he wasn't being brought in as the face of the franchise.

He wasn't being introduced as the long-term answer at quarterback.

He wasn't expected to carry the offense.

He was signed as a veteran backup.

The contract reflected that reality.

At approximately $6.25 million per season, Brissett's deal placed him in the financial neighborhood of experienced reserve quarterbacks rather than established starters.

At the time, that made sense.

The Cardinals believed they had their starter.

Brissett was insurance.

A trusted veteran who could step in if needed.

Then circumstances changed.

The Role Changed, But the Contract Didn't
The strongest argument in Brissett's favor is remarkably simple.

The job changed.
The compensation didn't.

Arizona ultimately turned to Brissett as its starting quarterback.

Instead of standing on the sideline holding a clipboard, he became responsible for leading the offense, preparing as the starter, facing opposing defenses every week, and carrying the expectations that come with being an NFL quarterback.

The responsibilities increased dramatically.

The financial commitment from the organization did not.

That disconnect sits at the center of the current contract dispute.

In virtually every profession, when an employee assumes greater responsibility, compensation is expected to follow.

The NFL is no different.

The Cardinals may not believe Brissett is their long-term franchise quarterback.

That is a separate discussion.

The immediate question is whether a player who was signed as a backup but performed as a starter should continue being compensated as a backup.

The Production Was Better Than Many Fans Realize
Critics often point to Arizona's struggles and stop the conversation there.

But football games are not won and lost by quarterbacks alone.

When evaluating Brissett's individual performance, the numbers tell a much different story than the public narrative.

Brissett finished the 2025 season with 3,366 passing yards, 23 touchdown passes, only 8 interceptions, and a passer rating of 94.1.

Those aren't elite numbers.
But they are far from disastrous.

In fact, those statistics place him much closer to the middle of the NFL starting quarterback landscape than many fans would admit.

More importantly, those numbers were achieved under circumstances that were far from ideal.

The Pressure Statistics Tell the Real Story
If there is one statistic that deserves more attention than any other, it is pressure rate.

Brissett faced pressure on 27.5 percent of his dropbacks during the season.

Among quarterbacks with at least 12 starts, that ranked among the highest pressure rates in the league.

That means more than one out of every four times Brissett dropped back to pass, defenders were disrupting the pocket and forcing him to react.

Quarterbacks perform best when they have time.

Brissett often didn't.

Arizona's offensive line allowed 43 sacks, forcing him to operate in one of the more challenging environments among NFL starters.

Context matters.

A quarterback producing respectable numbers behind an elite offensive line is one thing.

A quarterback producing respectable numbers while consistently facing pressure is something entirely different.

The Garbage Time Argument Falls Apart Under Scrutiny
One of the most common criticisms of Brissett is that much of his production came during garbage time.

The claim is familiar.
The Cardinals were trailing.
Defenses relaxed.
Brissett accumulated meaningless yards.

It sounds convincing until the numbers are examined.

If defenses were truly sitting back and allowing easy completions, why was Brissett pressured on 27.5 percent of his dropbacks?

Pressure is not passive.
Pressure requires effort.
Pressure requires pass rushers attacking the quarterback.
Pressure requires defensive coordinators designing ways to disrupt an offense.

The pressure statistics directly challenge the notion that defenses were simply allowing Brissett to pile up meaningless yards.

If opponents were content to concede short completions, they wouldn't have been generating one of the highest pressure rates faced by any starting quarterback.

The reality is that Brissett's production occurred while defenses continued trying to disrupt him.

That suggests his numbers were earned rather than gifted.

The "Defenses Gave Him Underneath Throws" Narrative Misses the Point
Another common criticism is that defenses simply allowed Brissett to complete short passes underneath coverage.

Even if that were partially true, it doesn't invalidate the production.

NFL offenses are built around moving the chains.

A six-yard completion on third-and-five is just as valuable as a deep completion on first down.

Quarterbacks still must recognize coverage, make the correct read, deliver an accurate throw, and keep the offense on schedule.

If completing underneath passes were as easy as critics suggest, every quarterback in the league would be producing efficient numbers.

The reality is that sustaining drives remains one of the most difficult tasks in professional football.

Brissett consistently demonstrated the ability to do it.

Why "He Went 1-11" Is a Weak Argument
Perhaps the most repeated criticism is that Brissett "went 1-11 as a starter."

The problem is that quarterback wins are not an official NFL statistic.

The NFL does not maintain quarterback wins as an individual statistical category.

Teams win.
Teams lose.

Quarterbacks contribute to those outcomes, but they do not control every aspect of them.

A quarterback can play well and lose because of defensive breakdowns, special teams errors, missed field goals, dropped passes, penalties, or poor protection.

Likewise, a quarterback can play poorly and still earn credit for a victory because the rest of the team carried the load.

Saying the Cardinals went 1-11 in Brissett's starts is factually accurate.

Saying Brissett went 1-11 oversimplifies the most complex team sport in America.

This Is About Fairness, Not Greed
The most important point is also the simplest.

Brissett is not asking to become one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in football.

There is no credible argument that he belongs in the same financial tier as the NFL's elite stars.

That isn't his case.

His case is that he signed a contract designed for a backup quarterback and subsequently performed the duties of a starter.

Those are two different realities.

The Cardinals may ultimately decide he isn't their long-term answer.

They may draft a quarterback.

They may pursue another veteran.

They may move in a completely different direction.

But if they believe Jacoby Brissett is good enough to start today, it is reasonable for him to believe his compensation should reflect that role.

The Bottom Line
This isn't a story about a quarterback demanding star money.

It's a story about a quarterback who signed a backup contract, became a starter, produced under difficult circumstances, faced one of the highest pressure rates in football, protected the football, and now wants his compensation to reflect the reality of his responsibilities.

Fans are free to debate whether Brissett is a franchise quarterback.

That's not the issue.

The issue is whether a player who outperformed the role he was originally hired to fill deserves to be paid accordingly.

​Based on the evidence, Jacoby Brissett has earned the right to make that argument.

Don't forget to follow Jeff Demers on X @Smaahtside for more content on local team news and content, along with the world of NASCAR.