Jacoby Brissett was on the field Thursday when the Arizona Cardinals opened training camp in Glendale, Arizona, a sign that the quarterback’s holdout had ended even as his contract dispute had not. Mike LaFleur said Brissett would practice, and he did.
That mattered because Brissett, 33, had stayed away from practice while pushing for a contract that reflects his job title. LaFleur described the latest conversations as productive, but as of late Thursday the Cardinals and Brissett still had not reached agreement on a restructured contract.
The timing gave the update extra weight. Arizona opened camp early because it is set to play Aug. 6 against the Carolina Panthers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, so the first day of work arrived sooner than it would for most teams. Brissett’s status was one of the first clear answers of camp, and it came at a moment when the Cardinals are trying to reset after a 3-14 season and a change at head coach, with Mike LaFleur replacing Jonathan Gannon.
Brissett’s practice also put a spotlight on how thin the margin remains between a normal camp and another distraction. LaFleur said, “He’s doing good,” and added that he was not going to say much more about the contract side. That left the key issue untouched: what, exactly, is being adjusted in the restructured deal and how close the sides really are.
The Cardinals have other issues on the board, too. Ryan Gold has been suspended by the NFL for violating the league’s gambling policy, Isaiah Adams was arrested in Canada and charged with firearms offenses but still took part in Thursday’s practice, and four players, including Tip Reiman, Garrett Williams, Paris Johnson Jr. and Josh Sweat, were placed on the physically unable to perform list. LaFleur said Paris Johnson Jr. and Josh Sweat should practice soon.
There is also the football problem that hangs over everything else. The Cardinals defense allowed 28.7 points per game last season, and Brissett took over for an injured Kyler Murray in a year when Arizona went 1-11 in games Brissett started. He is back in a room that needs stability, but the contract dispute shows that the job is still not settled in the way both sides want it to be.
The Cardinals can at least move into the next stretch of camp knowing Brissett is participating. What they do not yet have is a signed restructured contract, and until that changes, every practice will carry the question that Thursday only sharpened: how long can the quarterback and the team keep moving forward together without a final agreement?
