Jacoby Brissett didn’t need long to turn Arizona’s first win into a payday.
The Cardinals knocked off the Chargers 26-14 on Sunday at SoFi Stadium, and Brissett’s contract did the rest. According to the bonus structure reported by Front Office Sports, he pockets $285,000 any time he plays at least 50 percent of the snaps in a victory, with the incentive capped at 10 wins. One week in, he already cleared it.
Brissett was on the field for the full plan and finished 27 of 37 for 277 yards with one touchdown, no interceptions and one sack. He also ran six times for 14 yards. Arizona entered as a heavy underdog, but still held the ball for 37 minutes and leaned on a balanced showing that included Jeremiyah Love’s five-yard scoring run, Trey McBride’s late three-yard touchdown catch and four field goals from Chad Ryland.
The win bonus sits alongside bigger numbers in Brissett’s deal. He signed a one-year, $15.5 million rewrite in July after a long holdout, and the contract also includes $1.25 million for 24 touchdown passes and $1.4 million for 3,500 yards. Those marks are still ahead of him, but the victory clause already paid out.
It was also a milestone day for Mike LaFleur, who picked up his first win as a full-time Cardinals coach. No Arizona head coach had done that since Don Coryell in 1973. Brissett made sure to give him credit after the game.
“A great game in all three phases,” Brissett said on CBS. “On the road, tough environment, it’s what you ask for.”
He added: “He was great today. Me and him, I feel like we were in sync from play one.
I’m just so happy for him. Nobody deserves it more than him.”
Arizona had named Carson Beck the Hall of Fame Game starter in August, but Brissett still opened the regular season and kept the job after taking over last year when Kyler Murray hit IR. Murray now plays for the Minnesota Vikings.
On the other side, Justin Herbert finished with 209 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Brissett called the road win a “whew” moment for a starting quarterback, and in this case the contract backed him up with a very real reward.
In Other News...
Chargers Already Face An Ugly Harbaugh Backlash After Week 1
The Chargers Week 1 loss to the Cardinals did more than spoil a home opener. A 26-14 defeat to Arizona quickly pushed Jim Harbaugh into the sort of early-season scrutiny that follows any flat start, especially with the coach pointing to his defense afterward as a major concern. For a team trying to reset under a new regime, it was the kind of opening-night stumble that makes every roster choice feel a little louder the next morning.
Breiden Fehoko turned up that volume with a social-media critique aimed at Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz, adding another layer of pressure around how the Chargers built this group. Now the attention shifts to a short-week kind of response game against the Raiders, with Harbaugh already having to calm the noise before it has much time to spread. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Sent A Message In Week 1 Few Fans Expected
Week 1 in Los Angeles gave the Cardinals something they have been chasing for a while: an early-season road win built on defense, special teams and just enough offense to keep the Chargers at arms length. A blocked punt turned into a touchdown, Jeremiyah Love got Arizona on the board early, and the Cardinals kept stacking plays that tilted the game their way long before the final whistle.
The defensive effort was the part that really stood out, with Andrew Wingard coming up with a key interception and Dante Stills delivering a sack on fourth-and-goal to slam the door on a Chargers push. For a team that entered the opener with plenty of questions, the 26-14 result was a clear reminder that Arizona may be able to win in more ways than one this season. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Just Gave Fans A Reason To Rethink This Season
The Cardinals opened the season by going on the road and handling the Chargers 26-14, a result that immediately changed the tone around a team few expected to start with that kind of statement. Arizona came in as a 9.5-point underdog, but Jacoby Brissett settled things down from the start, finishing 27 of 37 for 277 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions in a performance that looked far more composed than the pregame projections suggested.
Justin Herbert moved the ball for Los Angeles, but the Chargers never found enough rhythm to shake off Arizonas control of the game. Injuries to Ladd McConkey and Kitan Crawford added another layer of concern on a night that already left both sides with questions, but the bigger takeaway for the Cardinals is harder to ignore: a team that was supposed to be chasing respect spent Week 1 earning it. [Read more 🡒]