The Arizona Cardinals’ 2025 season has fallen off the rails, but even amid that adversity, quarterback Jacoby Brissett has been a calming voice of leadership in the locker room.
Arizona started the year 2-0 with quarterback Kyler Murray, but then lost three straight, and Murray injured his ankle.
The Cardinals have turned to Brissett since Murray’s absence due to his injury, and although the record hasn’t improved, the veteran has brought stable leadership to the locker room.
What Type Of Leadership Does Jacoby Brissett Bring To the Cardinals?
Brissett is in his 10th year in the NFL, and he’s played for six different teams. This is Brissett’s first time with the Cardinals, but it’s not his first time working with offensive coordinator Drew Petzing.
Petzing was the Cleveland Browns’ tight ends coach from 2020 to 2021 and then their quarterbacks coach in 2022, before joining Arizona.
In 2022, Brissett overlapped with Petzing in Cleveland, and the two worked together for that season. One thing that’s always stood out to Petzing is Brissett’s leadership.
“One, the even-keelness that he goes throughout the week and throughout a game. He does not ride the wave of emotion,” Petzing said. “He does a great job of resetting, focusing on the goal, and communicating.
“I think such a big part of leadership is communication and making sure you’re talking to guys, you know where they’re at, you know where they need to go, and you know how to get them there. I think he does a really nice job of that.”
The Cardinals’ season hasn’t gone as planned, but Arizona’s passing attack has taken off since Brissett’s been the starter.
Just last week, the veteran quarterback threw for over 450 yards and broke the regular-season NFL record with 47 completions in the game.
Brissett ranks No. 16 among all quarterbacks in the NFL, according to PFSN’s QB Impact, right in the middle. However, his third-down conversion percentage ranks sixth in the NFL.
Petzing mentioned the passing attack has thrived due to Brissett’s decision-making, and he’s brought a level of explosiveness to the Cardinals’ offense.
Brissett had just one interception on the season before Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers. The veteran quarterback had done so well this season, not forcing things and taking what the defense gave him.
Week 11 was a step backward in that category, as Brissett tried to force two throws that both got intercepted, but it was also with his team down double digits both times.
The veteran quarterback pressed and paid the cost. However, that was uncharacteristic based on the rest of the 2025 NFL season.
Now, it’s back to the drawing board for Brissett and the Cardinals offense as they look to get back in the win column on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
