ARIZONA — Jacoby Brissett continues to be one of the more polarizing players on the Arizona Cardinals' 2026 roster.

That's essentially the price any quarterback pays, though Brissett's contract demands (that were eventually successful) coming off a season where the Cardinals won just three games placed him in a negative light for much of the fan base.

It's hard to find nuetral people on Brissett — you either believe in Brissett to elevate the offense in 2026 or you don't. The middle ground isn't very wide, so to say.

Yet when it comes to the opinions on Brissett from the eyes of coaches and executives in the NFL, it seems to be different than the average fan.

The Athletic recently tiered every quarterback ahead of the 2026 season. Admittedly so, Brissett's ranking of 33rd out of 35 passers obviously isn't great — though the actual opinions on Arizona's starting quarterback did stand out.

“He can read defenses and put the ball where it’s supposed to go,” one defensive coordinator who faced Brissett last season said. “Gets it out of his hands quick, can take shots, can challenge you down the field. I’m not saying this from a talent standpoint, but he operated as a quarterback as well as anyone we saw.”

That seems to be the overall consensus on Brissett — the talent and potential isn't quite on par with others, but his ability to keep the Cardinals' offense moving and on time.

Another defensive coach added, “He could help you win in a quick-dropback, rhythm passing game and make the short throws and take the occasional 7-cut shot or the occasional go-ball fade. But he is not going to scramble for you, not going to create. I do think he is smart.”

Brissett obviously has his limitations as a passer, though the Cardinals are high on his ability to manage Mike LaFleur's offense thanks to his experience and established rapport with weapons such as Trey McBride, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson.

Still, there's work to be done and plays to be caught up on.

"I got a long way to go. I mean, I'm willing to put the work in," said Brissett after signing the contract.

"Obviously, after this night of sleep that I do get, I'll go back to three hours of sleep for work purposes now. But it's training camp. We're all learning. It's first time in this offense. So, I'm not naive to understand that it's still a lot of work to be done."