Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur is without Jacoby Brissett at the start of the club’s free agency season, but the rookie coach isn’t worried about the veteran quarterback’s continued absence.
“It’s not mandatory, right? Like I’ve said to Jacoby and every veteran I’ve been around, they’ve played football,” LaFleur told reporters Monday. “The hardest thing to do in this league is to get used to the speed of the game. Not just the rookie, but the second-year, third-year guy, and he’s played a lot of football. He’s probably done everything we’ve ever done schematically, it’s just a little different language. It’s the flip stuff, getting used to the game, like if you’re a rookie here or not a rookie here. like, ‘Oh, crap,’ because it takes a minute.
Brissett is away from the team as it seeks a salary increase for the 2026 season, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday. It’s a continuation of a stance that began with him sitting out Phase 1 of Arizona’s offseason schedule in April.