The Arizona Cardinals began OTAs (organized staff actions) on Monday and had a notable absentee.
Beginning quarterback Jacoby Brissett didn’t attend Cardinals OTAs. Regardless that he’s in line to be the staff’s beginning quarterback with first 12 months head coach Mike LaFleur, Brissett desires to be compensated as a beginning quarterback.
Earlier than the overreactions get began, it’s price noting that these OTAs are voluntary. Gamers have held out of them earlier than and returned for necessary minicamp and coaching camps with none concern. It’s additionally comprehensible that Brissett desires to be paid. For years, he’s been considered as one of many elite backup quarterbacks within the NFL. He lastly will get a chance to begin a season, and needs to be paid as such.
Completely regular.
Nevertheless, a contract dispute with the staff’s beginning quarterback to start the LaFleur period in Arizona may foreshadow how this season will go for the Cardinals – not very properly.
Behind Brissett resides Gardner Minshew and Carson Beck, who was Arizona’s third-round draft choose final month. It’s a roster that doesn’t have a lot expertise, regardless of deciding on Notre Dame working again Jeremiyah Love within the high 5 picks. They solely gained three video games final season, gave up on Kyler Murray and determined to draft a working again behind one of many worst offensive strains in soccer.
LaFleur labored magic with Matthew Stafford throughout his time because the offensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams. However let’s be clear about a couple of issues. Sean McVay runs the offense in Los Angeles.
And Brissett isn’t Stafford.
With that in thoughts, Brissett’s absence will sting the Cardinals much more so. Across the NFL, groups with new head coaches make the most of OTAs to use the classroom set up work onto the apply discipline. With out the beginning quarterback current for this voluntary portion of the offseason, the Cardinals are going to be taking part in catch up as soon as the calendar flips to June – or at any time when Brissett decides to reach.
Brissett is within the second season of a two-year deal that he signed with the Cardinals. He’s set to earn $9 million, however solely $1.5 million of that’s assured. As a beginning quarterback, Brissett is properly inside his rights to seek for just a little pay improve to function further safety for risking his physique for 17 common season video games in a Cardinals jersey.
However that doesn’t change the truth that the longer this bleeds on, the extra of a distraction that it’s going to turn into, and the much less doubtless it is going to be for Brissett to flourish with LaFleur of their first season collectively.
