Jacoby Brissett's Cardinals Teammates Just Sent a Clear Message

ARIZONA — To the outside world, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett is a mere bridge quarterback to hold the fort down until a long-term answer is there. Plenty of QB rankings have Brissett near the bottom of the league while a healthy majority of Cardinals fans were displeased over Brissett's 1-11 record as a starter, or his contract holdout that bled into training camp, or both. However, within the walls of the team's facility in Tempe, a fairly loud message was sent on Brissett. Brissett was voted one of five Cardinals team captains ahead of the 2026 season, joining the likes of Hjalte Froholdt, Casey Kreiter, Budda Baker and Mack Wilson Sr. in the process. Head coach Mike LaFleur says only players in the locker room voted. It's not often where a journeyman passer gets that coveted "C" on his chest, though Brissett obviously has earned the respect of his peers. "That wasn't shocking to me, just in terms of his interaction with not just the offense, but this whole team," LaFleur said on Brissett getting the nod as a team captain. "The more and more I'm around him, the more I get it in terms of the person. Always knew it from afar, but just having that first however long it's been seven weeks or so of being with him, it's been great." From the public perspective, it may have been a bit shocking. For those who are consistently around the team every week, previous players have made their feelings quite clear on Brissett — even when he was still in the midst of a contract dispute with the organization. "It was exciting to see him here," star tight end Trey McBride said on having Brissett present at mandatory minicamp. "Guys want him to be here. We would love to have him in the building but he's working through some things on his own and we totally understand that. You could just tell the presence he brought today, it was awesome." Star safety Budda Baker also offered: "No matter what any player says, he just wants the team to be good and ultimately win games. I think Jacoby did a great job last year. I know we didn't get the wins we wanted, but I think he held command of the offense at a high level.' Are the Cardinals planning on having Brissett around long-term? Not close — though the respect he has from the very men he'll be entering a weekly battle with is so glaringly obvious. This article first appeared on Arizona Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.