Jacoby Brissett is set to quarterback the Arizona Cardinals this year, giving him a new starting role as he enters his 11th NFL season. It will be the fourth time he has opened a season as a starter, a reflection of how often teams have turned to him when they needed a steady hand.
That is why his name is drawing attention now. Brissett has played for six teams, including two stints with the New England Patriots, and coaches and teammates have long described him as one of the NFL’s most respected locker-room presences. The Cardinals are getting a quarterback whose value has never been limited to what shows up in the box score.
One of the clearest examples came on a late October night in 2018, after the Indianapolis Colts lost 42-34 to the New York Jets and fell to 1-5. Andrew Luck said Brissett called him for about 20 minutes and told him he was working too hard, that the team was too good, and that he should call a team meeting. Luck later reached out to the other captains, and after that meeting the Colts won nine of 10 to reach the playoffs.
Luck said Brissett was three years younger than him at the time, but the suggestion still landed. He said backup quarterbacks offering ideas is not unusual, yet Brissett was different because his tone made it clear he was trying to help the team, not protect himself. Luck said that by the third call, his whole demeanor and attitude had shifted, which is the kind of reaction Brissett has drawn from people around him for years.
Bill Parcells has known Brissett since he was a teenager and said he has a special knack for influencing the locker room. Parcells said Brissett has always been a leader wherever he has been, a dedicated team player interested in winning, and someone who can round up people and influence them in a positive way. Former NFL coach Matt Canada saw the same qualities during Brissett’s career. That reputation has followed him even as the results as a starter have been uneven.
That is the friction in Brissett’s career, and it is part of what makes this season notable. He has struggled to win consistently when handed the job, but coaches and teammates keep describing him as one of the most respected teammates in the league. The Cardinals are betting that the same presence that steadied a collapsing Colts team can help guide them now, and this season will show whether his leadership travels as well as his reputation has.
