Jacoby and His Boys Standing Strong
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By Walter MitchellWhat is it about Michael Bidwill that he cannot get ahead of any off-season dramas? Why does he sit in his office twiddling his thumbs while PR debacles are swarming the organization like rats.
New and Re-Signed Head Coaches Saddled with Off-Season Dramatic Distractions
Why is it that whenever Michael Bidwill makes a change in head coach or signs a coach to a contract extension, he immediately saddles the new coach with a tediously prolonged off-season drama:
Steve Wilks --- Steve Keim's burner phones and David Johnson's holdout
Kliff Kingsbury Contract 1--- Patrick Peterson's "snakes in the grass won't pay me while I am suspended"
Kliff Kingsbury Contract 2 --- Kyler Murray's holdout
Jonathan Gannon --- Budda Baker's holdout
Mike LaFleur --- Jacoby Brissett's holdout
It's as if Michael Bidwill welcomes the drama. He managed to let each one fester and grow to the detriment of the players. coaches and organization.
This year with a new offensive-minded head coach in Mike LaFleur, what was the point of not getting ahead of Jacoby Brissett's contract situation?
After all the tension and confusion regarding Jacoby's holdout, Jacoby wound up getting the modest contract he was asking for all along.
In the meantime, Jacoby was mercilessly ridiculed by Cardinals' media, podcasters and fans. Shit was said that should have never been said. Some media podcasters who have the temerity to believe they have earned the right to speak for the majority of Cardinals' fans tried to wage an impassioned plea to Michael Bidwill to cut or trade Jacoby for "embarrassing himself and the organization."
It didn't matter to the naysayers in the slightest that Jacoby Brissett's teammates unanimously have wanted him to remain their starting QB for the sake of all the improvements they made in 2025.
Hjalte Froholdt was the first to speak up and he pretty much put it all into a nutshell as to why Jacoby had won the trust of his teammates, and then came Michael Wilson's pledge, and then Trey McBride's"
Good thing the Cardinals' players value Jacoby Brissett in all of the ways that he deserves.
"He ain't no backup...He's a veteran, he knows his shit, he stands in the pocket, he takes a hit, he plays for the boys." Hjalte Froholdt.
"We'd love to have Jacoby. Words can't describe how I feel about playing with Jacoby. Obviously, what he did for my career, I'm forever indebted to him." Michael Wilson.
"We'd love to have Jacoby here. He's the guy who got me all those yards and catches last year, so I'd love to have him here." Trey McBride.
Good thing they have the respect and understanding for how gutsy and well Jacoby played and for not quitting in games when the defense had checked out) that unfortunately you clearly lack.
When hearing these pleas from Jacoby's teammates, disapproving podcasters and fans tried to argue that "what else are the players going to say? They said the same positive things about Kyler."
Not the same way --- look at how Hjalte Froholdt framed his reasons. The innuendo is clear --- the team was not getting those qualities from Kyler Murray. Look at how Michael Wilson and Trey McBride got specific about how indebted they feel to him for taking their games to the next level.
Thus, when this was announced:
The #AZCardinals and veteran QB Jacoby Brissett have reached a deal to increase his compensation for 2026, as its new one year worth $15.5M with a chance to get $21M.
AZ’s starter is now locked, already having begun practicing.
My instant reaction was:
Jacoby’s contract signals an encouraging change in Bidwill's m.o. For the first time in years, the Cardinals are listening to what the players want. Why Bidwill waited this long is regrettable. But Jacoby is as resilient as they come and he’s got three things that the best NFL QBs have: (1) supreme toughness; (2) big-time arm; (3) professional leadership. Those habits can lead to wins if the whole team adopts them.
Back in 2022 as many of you know, I predicted that if Michael Bidwill, at the behest of the desperate, petulant fans, were to cave in and give Kyler Murray his bag, despite all the red flags, the message that contract would send to the Cardinals' locker room would set the team back at least 2-3 years.
This is why in my tweet about Jacoby's contract, I said "for the first time in years"
Imagine what Jacoby's teammates would have felt if Michael Bidwill had this time at the fans' behest, traded or cut him? They would have been completely demoralized and would have been bracing themselves for having to endure the third "tank" scenario in four years.
It's important to understand why the players trust in Jacoby. And why they believe he gives them the best chance to win this season.
Tough guys win in the NFL.
Playing tough always gives teams a chance.
Notice who Jacoby's four most vocal supporters are: Budda Baker, Hjlate Froholdt, Michael Wilson and Trey McBride. What do all of them have in common?
Tough guys want to play with tough guys.
Good thing Michael Bidwill wasn't listening to the team's top ballers this time.
This shift in Michael Bidwill's modus operandi provides hope.
Inside the Numbers
Cardinals, QB Jacoby Brissett agree to a reworked $15.5M deal for 2026 season worth up to $21M in incetives. (via )
I was off by 200K.
I thought Jacoby's contract fittingly was going to be 110 QB pressures + 43 sacks = 153 x 1,000 = $15.3M.
The thing as much as any other that impressed me about him was that, despite all of the courageous pounding Jacoby took playing his butt off for 12 straight games, his arm strength in Week 18 against the Rams was still as robust as it was in Week 6. His two Q3 TDs to Michael Wilson (go-route) and Josiah Deguara (back shoulder) were money. Cards took brief Q3 at home over Rams.
The truth is, Jacoby's figures, which he stood up and fought for are completely modest (just as Budda Baker and Devin McCourty insisted) for a QB who in 2025 was a top half of the league starting QB, despite losing 4 of 5 starters on the OL and Marvin Harrion Jr. for 5 games and large parts of two others.
It feels so unfair that after the pounding he took on the field that by standing up for wanting a modest contract he would have to take a three-month pounding from podcasters, media guys, pigeonholers and naysaying fans.
But if anyone can take the hits and keep on ticking, Jacoby Brissett is that guy.
Today Jacoby Brissett and his boys are standing tall.
Tomorrow's return of the Red Rain Podcast
We had been waiting for some pertinent Cardinals' news and now we have plenty of it. We are going to chime in on training camp news and developments and then we are going to wage a heated discussion about what we are calling PTKSD (aka: Post-Traumatic Kyler Stress Disorder) --- a syndrome that every Cardinals' fan who ever bleieved and put faith in Kyler is coping with.
We asked this poll question yesterday on X and here were the results:
Cardinals' fans, what year did you lose faith in Kyler? If you have the time, please explain your answer.
If you did not see the poll to cast your answer, please tell us what your answer is and why,
We intend to share our answers and our opinions about the poll results.
Red Rain Blog 1-Year Anniversary
It was a little over a year ago that we crested the Red Rain Blog for Arizona Cardinals Fans. Many thanks to Kyle "L'il Rock Ledbetter, Saguaro Sam and all of you for making the site what it is today. To quote Alfred Lord Tennyson from his poem "Ulysses":
Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho'
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
Happy 1 Year Anniversary Walter!!!!
ReplyDeleteJust getting started and ramping up after several great years at another Cards site. The best is yet to come-hopefully we can say the same for our Cards.
DeleteYou guys make podcasting fun and profoundly interesting.
DeleteHappy Anniversary - wow already 1 year!
ReplyDeleteArticle response:
Kyler Murray - never had confidence.
Why?
(1) only 1 year as starting QB in college
(2) Small athletic QB's generally speaking have lower NFL career (I was comparing to RJ Griffin III)
Once he started to play
(3) Immaturity
(4) Lack of leadership
(5) Injuries limiting his level of play
(6) Spoiled Child Demeanor
Brissett:
-- I said early on a fair salary for Brissett was in the 15-20M range (with incentives, and 5M Guaranteed); he got slightly better on the guaranteed money.
-- I too am frustrate that our Front Office (Ossenfort & Bidwill) dragged this on rather than being proactive. I believe Bidwill thinks any press (good or bad) is good for his wallet as it shows up in media and fan interaction. Never mind how it destroys morale of team and relationship to winning.
-- This situation should have been handled in Feb/Mar out of public eye (IMO) to avoid the distractions. But that is too much to expect for Bidwill/Ossenfort. These public displays of disgruntled players/coaches/staff have negative impact on the organizations ability to attract talent at all levels...and its been same for multiple decades, turning that narrative should be a goal, but it appears not.
Like --- what do you think about nearly half of the fans taking the poll chose "never did" (lose faith in Kyler)? Very curious to now your thoughts and everyone else's about this. It did not come as a surprise, did it?
DeleteKyler Murray had his stanche followers who would support him no matter what; I always believed more fans were savvy about his on-field performance as being less than his selection. How I felt personally was they invested so much emotions into Kyler being overall #1 pick and his athleticism that they could not accept any critique of the performance. I blame part of that on his second contract. The fact Brissett outplayed Murray in every aspect in 2025 was also picked apart by those same fans saying Brissett got all his stats in garbage time. It was never based on facts, it was always to give Murray the 'benefit' of his selection as #1 pick. Consequently we listened to how Murray didn't have the supporting staff for seven years, whilst the front office catered their FA and drafts to support Murray in every possible way. It was bad team building by our front office. And, yes to your point, it set back the team by multiple years.
DeleteYes! Like!
DeleteCongrats, Walt! I’ve been away for the summer, but looking to get back to the podcast and blog!
ReplyDelete2024 was the tipping point on Kyler for me. We had a chance to surprise the division, but when it mattered, he could not step up. He wasn’t the only one, but I’m haunted by some brutal picks at inopportune moments.