Kyler Murray is a former Heisman Trophy winner, and now he is getting a backup who has hoisted a trophy of his own as well.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported on Tuesday that the Arizona Cardinals are signing veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett in free agency. Brissett heads to Arizona after spending last season with the New England Patriots.
The 32-year-old Brissett has been in the league since 2016 and won a Super Bowl with the Patriots as a rookie backing up Tom Brady. He then went on to play for the Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, and Washington Commanders before returning to New England for a second stint in 2024.
Brissett has made 53 starts in his NFL career, including five last season for the Patriots before they named rookie QB Drake Maye as their starter for the remainder of the year. While he has gone just 19-34 overall in those starts, Brissett is a steady insurance option for the Cardinals who rarely throws interceptions and can step in for spot starts when needed.
Fowler also notes that Brissett has familiarity with Arizona’s personnel. Brissett previously worked with Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, who was his QBs coach on the Cleveland Browns in the 2022 NFL season.
After suffering a torn ACL late in the 2022 season and appearing in just eight games in the 2023 season, Murray was largely back to his usual self in 2024. He started in all 17 games for Arizona, throwing for 3,851 yards and 21 touchdowns (along with another 572 yards and five touchdowns on the ground). But now Murray is getting a high-quality backup in Brissett to go along with the other Super Bowl champion that the Cardinals just signed in free agency earlier this week.
