Still absent, but dialogue ongoing

Brissett remains absent from the Cardinals' offseason program, but coach Mike LaFleur said Friday that the veteran quarterback has "played a lot of football, and we're in communication," Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports. "He knows what the expectation is," LaFleur added.

In the wake of Arizona releasing Kyler Murray and then signing only Gardner Minshew in free agency, Brissett wasn't given an assurances that he'd be the team's starting signal-caller in 2026, per Weinfuss. Brissett thus has stayed away from the early stages of the offseason program as he seeks a raise to starter-level money, as his current contract includes just $1.5 million in guarantees, while Minshew's deal ensures $5.14 million this season. Brissett went only 1-11 as the Cardinals' starting QB in 2025, but he took advantage of high volume in those contests, completing 315 of 484 passes (65.1 percent) for 3,366 yards, 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions. The team added Carson Beck in the third round of this year's draft, but according to Weinfuss's report Friday, Brissett has been informed by the Cards that he's the starter for 2026.