Jacoby Brissett reunites with Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, who previously coached him in Cleveland. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
GLENDALE – Being a backup quarterback in the NFL sounds like a great job. No pressure, plus the opportunity to make millions while standing on the sidelines with an earpiece might seem like paradise – except it can change in an instant.
The No. 2 signal caller is a vital roster spot for teams, especially those with a mobile quarterback. Any hit can alter a player’s health. With free agency opening up, the Arizona Cardinals opted to sign a veteran backup for quarterback Kyler Murray, inking 32-year-old Jacoby Brissett, who last played for the New England Patriots.
The Cardinals are the sixth NFL team for Brissett, who is entering his 10th season in the league. The hope is that the veteran who has 53 NFL starts, has the potential to help Murray take another step in his game. Brissett played in Indianapolis, Cleveland, Miami, Washington and New England – twice. Switching environments is never easy, especially for professionals, but the hardest part is not learning a new playbook.
Brissett said it’s packing up and settling into another city.
“The moving part is the hardest part,” he said while speaking to the media Friday. “Having to put my information in for a new WiFi account…”
“Learning a new system, I think that’s the easy part for me.”
Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort suggested adding a veteran presence in the quarterback room while at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine in February, saying, “You can never have too much competition at any spot.”
He kept his word, signing Brissett to a two-year deal worth $12.5 million.
Brissett started for the Patriots last season until the organization opted to start rookie quarterback Drake Maye. In eight games, Brissett completed 95 of 161 pass attempts for 826 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He isn’t the scrambler that fans in the desert may be used to seeing, but a poised pocket passer who can run when needed.
He reunites with Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, who was his quarterback coach in Cleveland. That familiarity with the system drove Brissett to the Cardinals.
“The way he’s (Drew Petzing) kept the core of this offense together when it was back in Cleveland,” Brissett said about the attraction of joining forces with Petzing again. “Being able to do a lot of things from multiple formations and personnel groups.”
“I thought he’s been doing a good job of creating a lot of explosive plays, getting a lot of guys open and things of that nature.”
It’s a flip of the script for Brissett. Last season, the Cardinals were top five in the league in play-action percentage, and the Patriots were bottom five. Brissett likes play-action plays as he posted a 92.8 NFL passer rating on play-action dropbacks compared to a 70.4 on normal dropbacks last year.
Brissett and Murray have different playstyles, but the mental process is the same when a quarterback takes the snap. How much Brissett teaches Murray, as Murray has seen a lot of football himself, remains to be seen.
“I think I have got to figure that out as we go,” Brissett said about the dynamic “He’s been a good player in this league for a long time. Watched him a lot. Obviously, with him playing on a lot of the teams (I’ve) gone against. Just here to figure that out myself.”
Dalvin Tomlinson, right, signs with the Arizona Cardinals in a move to add depth and leadership to the defensive line. (Photo by Shelley Lipton/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Brissett’s relationship with members of the Cardinals is one aspect needing no solution.
The relationship with Petzing is already well-established. He’s also familiar with others among the staff.
Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon coached the Colts’ cornerbacks when Brissett played in Indianapolis, Ossenfort worked in the front office in New England when the Patriots selected Brissett in the 2016 NFL Draft. And Cardinals quarterback coach Israel Woolfork was the assistant quarterback coach in Cleveland in 2022 when Brissett was there.
With his career going into a 10th season, Brissett focused on relationships as a free agent this time around – and it’s safe to say he has plenty in Arizona.
“I would say who you really go to work with every day,” Brisset said of what he values as a 32-year-old vet. “Who you lace them up with. Drew (Petzing), Is (Israel Woolfork), and JG (Jonathan Gannon) kind of drew me here a lot.”
“If I can go to work with the people that I go to work with every day and enjoy going to work, then the football stuff will take care of itself.”
Defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson, 31, previously a Cleveland Brown, talked shortly after Brissett took the podium. The former second-round pick was released last week, and the Cardinals needed some defensive line help. Arizona signed Tomlinson to a two-year, $29 million contract, with $16 million guaranteed.
Ossenfort and Gannon echoed the need for versatile linemen up front at the combine. Tomlinson adds to the vision and supplies the Cardinals with a veteran presence in the defensive line room.
“I wasn’t always the biggest guy,” Tomlinson said. “I had to put the weight on throughout college and get into the NFL. So playing a three-technique or 2i shade (inside the guard’s shoulder) in and a little bit of everything, I feel like I’m more than capable of all of that upfront.”
“It’s going to feel like I’m back in Alabama.”
Like Brissett, Tomlinson is a formidable NFL veteran who could help some of the Cardinals’ young talent develop.
Darius Robinson and Dante Stills are young players finding their footing in the league. A former first-round pick, Robinson comes with certain expectations, and fans around the Valley hope he can improve entering 2025. He battled injuries and personal matters in 2024 but still can make a jump going into this year.
“I’m looking forward to meeting them (Robinson and Stills) and working with them,” Tomlinson said. “I heard about them watching film and stuff and I’m super excited. Being an older guy in the league, leadership is a part of things that actually keep you in the league.”
“I’m ready to help guys around me get better. It grows myself, too. And I feel like all of us in the front seven will be able to bounce off each other and make some good plays.”
Development isn’t the only reason the Cardinals attracted Tomlinson. He felt something brewing in the desert and wanted in.
“JG (Jonathan Gannon) and (defensive coordinator) coach Nick (Rallis), just playing against those guys knowing them from the other side of the wall in games,” Tomlinson said. “Just seeing what the team’s done over the last couple of years and what they’re growing into.”
“I just feel like I want to be a part of it.”