And then there was one. Quarterback Drew Allar has signed his rookie deal with the Steelers, the team announced on Friday. That means Rams quarterback Ty Simpson is the lone remaining unsigned QB from the 2026 draft. Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza and Cardinals quarterback Carson Beck put pen to paper with their respective teams earlier this week. Allar was the No. 78 overall pick in the third round in April after four seasons at Penn State. He is one of four in Pittsburgh’s QBs room, along with Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, and Will Howard
And then there was one. Quarterback Drew Allar has signed his rookie deal with the Steelers , the team announced on Friday. That means Rams quarterback Ty Simpson is the lone remaining unsigned QB from the 2026 draft. Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza and Cardinals quarterback Carson Beck put pen to paper with their respective teams earlier this week. Allar was the No. 78 overall pick in the third round in April after four seasons at Penn State. He is one of four in Pittsburgh ’s QBs room, along with Aaron Rodgers , Mason Rudolph , and Will Howard
Jacoby Brissett returned to Cardinals practice on Thursday, ending his contract-related hold-in. While contract negotiations are ongoing, head coach Mike LaFleur indicated they have been productive. Brissett is expected to be integrated into the team's playbook this season
There will be no training camp hold-in or holdout for Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett as he continues to negotiate with the team on a new contract. Coach Mike LaFleur said Thursday that Brissett will practice on the first day of camp even though the sides have yet to reach a potential agreement on an extension. Brissett's attendance is significant considering he sat out of most of the Cardinals' offseason program . It was not until the mandatory minicamp that the veteran reported to the team facility , but even then, he conducted a hold-in as a non-participant in practices. When the Cardinals released Kyler Murray and elected not to replace their longtime starter with a free agent, Brissett became the de facto No. 1 option in the group. He started 12 games in 2025 when Murray sat due to a severe mid-foot sprain, making him the incumbent starter in a group that also includes journeyman backup Gardner Minshew and rookie third-round pick Carson Beck . That role promotion from a No. 2 to the projected full-time starter is the crux of Brissett's demand for an extension. He is in the second year of a two-year, $12.5 million contract, which gives him just the 32nd-largest average annual value at the quarterback position and places him behind multiple backups in scheduled earnings. As the presumptive leader of a team that will rely heavily on him to avoid finishing with one of the NFL's worst records, Brissett seeks to be valued more in line with fellow starters across the league. "Still ongoing," LaFleur said of the contract talks. "It's been productive between us and his team." Limiting Brissett's leverage in the negotiations is that the Cardinals have not officially named him the starter. When given the opportunity to do so on Thursday, LaFleur declined to say whether he is conducting an open competition or if the job belongs to Brissett. "I'd describe it as Practice 1 on July 23," LaFleur said. Arizona could instead turn to Minshew, given that he holds 47 career starts and has been serviceable in stretches throughout his seven-year run with five different teams. The franchise also made a notable investment in Beck in selecting him in the third round, and it may want to see what the rookie can make of playing time. That the Cardinals figure to be well outside the playoff hunt gives them the latitude to hand the keys to Beck and determine whether he is a worthy building block for the future. Still, Brissett likely gives the Cardinals the best chance to be competitive. Even though he went 1-11 as a starter last year, most of the team's woes fell on the defense's shoulders. Brissett himself ranked first in the NFL in completions, tied for third in passing touchdowns and third in total passing yards over the final nine weeks of the regular season
Jacoby Brissett is at Cardinals training camp and the quarterback is not staging a hold-in for the team’s first practice. Head coach Mike LaFleur told reporters that Brissett will participate in the team’s first workout of the summer on Thursday. Brissett skipped the voluntary portion of the team’s offseason program and did not participate after reporting to the team’s mandatory minicamp last month. Brissett is looking for a revised contract that better reflects his position as the team’s likely starter at quarterback to kick off the season. There has been no agreement on a new deal at this point, but LaFleur said at his press conference that talks on that front have been “productive.” As long as things remain unresolved on the contract front, there would be a chance that Brissett makes a different decision regarding his practice plans but camp will open with the veteran taking reps along with his fellow quarterbacks Gardner Minshew and Carson Beck
When and where: Week 13 in Arizona Key additions: HC Mike LaFleur, G Isaac Seumalo , RB Tyler Allgeier , DT Roy Lopez , WR Kendrick Bourne , QB Gardner Minshew Key subtractions: QB Kyler Murray , S Jalen Thompson, DT Dalvin Tomlinson , DL Calais Campbell , LT Kelvin Beachum , RT Jonah Williams Last season: The Cardinals, the franchise with the second worst winning percentage among active NFL teams, lost more games in 2025 than in any season in franchise history The question for this team: Which QB are the Cardinals drafting in April? The Cardinals season is already over. This is a team in a contract dispute with Jacoby Brissett , who led the team to one win in 12 starts in 2025. Brissett isn’t wrong to hold out, he’d probably make more money as a backup on another team, at the least he would have the benefit of no longer being on the Cardinals, a franchise that has charged players for the food they have given them. At the same time, the Cardinals also aren’t wrong to not give Brissett any additional money, they have Gardner Minshew and 3rd round pick Carson Beck to tank with. They don’t need Brissett, nobody does. There’s really no point in discussing the 2026 Arizona Cardinals. This is a team with the 6th most dead money (virtually the same as the Eagles) for 2026, and yet the 5th most cap space for 2026. According to Over The Cap, 24.8% of the Cardinals cap space is from rookie contracts, the most in the league. Over a third of the Cardinals salary cap for 2026 is being used on nobody on the roster. They’re not trying to compete this year. They want to lose this game and as many games as possible and have first shot at a bunch of QBs who a lot of people thought were going to be 1st round picks this past April. Good luck!
Fernando Mendoza and the Las Vegas Raiders have a deal. Mendoza and the Raiders agreed to terms on the quarterback’s rookie contract, the team announced Thursday , July 23. Mendoza deal is valued at $57. 2 million. As the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Mendoza’s rookie deal was slotted and predetermined, but top draft picks, especially quarterbacks, have some leverage. Signing bonus cash flow, guaranteed money details and offset language are negotiable terms in rookie contracts. The top four quarterbacks selected in this year’s draft – Mendoza, Ty Simpson , Carson Beck and Drew Allar – were all unsigned as of Wednesday morning . The Arizona Cardinals signed Beck to his rookie deal Wednesday afternoon . Cardinals rookies reported to training camp on Wednesday, so there was a sense of urgency to sign Beck. The same can be said for Mendoza as Raiders rookies reported to camp on Thursday. Mendoza’s signing bonus is what stalled the quarterback from originally signing his rookie deal with the Raiders, a person familiar with the situation told USA TODAY Sports. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they aren’t authorized to discuss such deals. Single lump sum payments have become customary for No. 1 overall picks. The last No. 1 pick that didn’t receive their signing bonus in a single lump sum payment was Kyler Murray when he was drafted No. 1 overall by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2019 NFL Draft. A person familiar with the Raiders process told USA TODAY Sports the Raiders’ standard practice is paying signing bonuses in instalments. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. Now that Mendoza and the Raiders have settled their contract situation, the rookie quarterback can now turn his focus on Year 1 with the Silver and Black. The Raiders signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins this offseason. Cousins is expected to start the season while the Raiders take a conservative approach with Mendoza, a quarterback they hope is their franchise quarterback. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Top pick Fernando Mendoza reports to Raiders camp, signs contract
With rookies reporting to training camp on Thursday, the Raiders have taken care of an important piece of business. No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza has signed his rookie contract, the team announced. “ Let’s get this thing rolling ,” Mendoza said in a video released by the team on social media. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes Mendoza’s deal is worth $57.27 million, fully guaranteed. The Raiders also hold a fifth-year option on the first-round pick. Mendoza’s signing should clear the way for Rams quarterback Ty Simpson and Steelers quarterback Drew Allar to also sign their rookie deals. Cardinals quarterback Carson Beck agreed to terms on his four-year rookie contract earlier this week
Jacoby Brissett has answered the first big question of Cardinals training camp. NFL Media reports that Brissett reported to camp along with the rest of the team's veterans on Wednesday. On Thursday, there should be more information about whether the quarterback just did that so he won't be fined. Brissett did not practice at all in the spring because he is looking for a revised contract that better reflects his status as the likely Week 1 starter in Arizona . Brissett did report to mandatory minicamp in order to avoid fines and his status at Thursday's practice will reveal whether he plans to hold in until the contract is addressed to his satisfaction. Brissett can make up to $5.39 million this season, but only $1.5 million of his salary is guaranteed. He spent most of last season as the team's starter and finished the year with 3,366 yards, 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions, but the Cardinals went 1-11 over his 12 starts. Gardner Minshew and rookie Carson Beck are the other quarterback options in Arizona
Jacoby Brissett has answered the first big question of Cardinals training camp. NFL Media reports that Brissett reported to camp along with the rest of the team’s veterans on Wednesday. On Thursday, there should be more information about whether the quarterback just did that so he won’t be fined. Brissett did not practice at all in the spring because he is looking for a revised contract that better reflects his status as the likely Week 1 starter in Arizona. Brissett did report to mandatory minicamp in order to avoid fines and his status at Thursday’s practice will reveal whether he plans to hold in until the contract is addressed to his satisfaction. Brissett can make up to $5.39 million this season, but only $1.5 million of his salary is guaranteed. He spent most of last season as the team’s starter and finished the year with 3,366 yards, 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions, but the Cardinals went 1-11 over his 12 starts. Gardner Minshew and rookie Carson Beck are the other quarterback options in Arizona
There had been four unsigned rookie quarterbacks. There are now three. Via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Cardinals and quarterback Carson Beck have agreed to terms on a four-year, $7.4 million deal, as the Cardinals gather for training camp. The amount was never in question. It’s slotted. There’s nothing to negotiate. The question is whether he got more guarantees than others around him received, given the position he plays. Eventually, the contract will be reported and the full percentage of the guarantees will be known. For now, Beck is under contract. He can embark on an effort to disrupt the current plan to make veteran Jacoby Brissett the starter. And the chances of that could increase, if Brissett and the Cardinals don’t work out a new deal before camp opens — and if Brissett declines to practice until they do. Three other rookie quarterbacks are unsigned: Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza, Rams quarterback Ty Simpson, and Steelers quarterback Drew Allar
As NFL training camps begin, USA TODAY Sports examines a key storyline for all 32 teams, covering roster battles, free agent additions, contract extensions, and coaching decisions. Notable quarterback competitions include Jacoby Brissett, Carson Beck, and Gardner Minshew II in Arizona, and Michael Penix Jr. vs. Tua Tagovailoa in Atlanta. The article also touches on defensive improvements under Jesse Minter for the Ravens
The Cardinals report to training camp on Wednesday. Their biggest question is: Will quarterback Jacoby Brissett report? Brissett has spent the offseason engaged in a contract dispute with the team, skipping the voluntary portion of the work. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that, on the eve of camp, the sides have come to no resolution. Brissett, who serves as his own agent, has negotiated with the Cardinals the past several months. The team acknowledges Brissett deserves a raise over the $4.88 million he’s due to earn in 2026, per Rapoport, but the sides have yet to agree on the number. Brissett’s deal has a max value of $5.39 million in this, the final year, but only $1.5 million is guaranteed. Brissett is the presumptive starter in new coach Mike LaFleur’s offense, but the Cardinals also have Gardner Minshew II and rookie Carson Beck. Brissett started 12 games for the Cardinals last season, completing 64.9 percent of his passes for 3,366 yards with 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions. The Cardinals went 1-11 in his starts
Training camps will be opening soon. Before 2011, that meant most teams engaging in a game of beat the clock with most of their draft picks. Nowadays, most contracts are signed by Memorial Day weekend. This year, there are four notable exceptions. They are the first four quarterbacks taken in the draft: Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza (first overall), Rams quarterback Ty Simpson (13th overall), Cardinals quarterback Carson Beck (third round, 65th overall), and Steelers quarterback Drew Allar (third round, 76th overall). There’s not much to negotiate. The dollars are set by a formula based on the draft slot. Pressure points in the past have related to signing bonus cash flow, voiding of guarantees, and offsets on guarantees. Surely, all of the deals will get done. Rookie holdouts are now very rare. But no deal is done until it’s done. And it’s getting a little glaring for the first four quarterbacks taken in the draft
The Cardinals don’t have a quarterback competition. In theory. But a competition possibly could emerge. Jacoby Brissett is the starter. He’s not happy with a contract that paid him to be a backup. The Cardinals have yet to adjust his contract to compensate him fairly to be the QB1. Brissett stayed away from the voluntary portion of the offseason program. He reported, as required, for the mandatory minicamp. He’ll presumably show up for training camp. But what will he do when he gets there? Starting quarterbacks typically do more than just show up and do the minimum. They put in extra work. They do other things. They are, for many teams, a member of management who operates among the workers, operating as a de facto player-coach. Will Brissett embrace the extra stuff, if he’s not happy with his contract? Really, why go above and beyond the basic requirements of the job if you’re not being paid fairly to do the job? Then there’s the chance he’ll hold in, not practicing at all until he gets a revised contract. Complicating the situation is that Brissett represents himself. Which necessarily makes the negotiations more delicate and potentially awkward. If Brissett the agent advises Brissett the client to punch the clock and go home (or to decline to practice), it opens the door for one of the other quarterbacks to fill the void. Whether it’s Gardner Minshew or rookie Carson Beck (or a little of both) remains to be seen. But it could be that Brissett will choose not to operate at all times (or at all) like the starter unless and until he’s compensated like a veteran starter. The Cardinals can easily avoid that outcome by figuring out a fair number for Brissett to be the starter. The range for veteran starters is currently broad, starting in the low 20s and extending into the mid-60s. Under the two-year deal Brissett signed in 2025, his average annual salary is $6.25 million. On one level, it’s madness. At another level, there’s a potential method to it. Stuck in a division with a trio of Super Bowl contenders, the Cardinals face a steep uphill climb to a playoff berth. It will be far easier to accept their fate for 2026 and sink in the standings — while rising in the draft order for 2027. Which sets the Cardinals up for the ability to draft one of the best quarterbacks in next year’s crop. (Unless and until Arch Manning makes it clear he’s not interested in playing there.) Even if Brissett keeps the starting job (with or without an adjustment to his contract), it seems inevitable that Beck will get a chance to play. The Cardinals need to know whether he’s got the potential to be a year-to-year starter before committing to drafting a quarterback next year. If you think they won’t, remember that they took Kyler Murray with the first pick one year after trading up to No. 10 to draft Josh Rosen. (While also passing on Lamar Jackson.) So, no, there’s officially no quarterback competition in Arizona. But if Brissett chooses not to accept the mantle of being the starter until he’s paid like one, a competition could unfold
Ty Simpson isn’t the only early 2026 draft pick who still hasn’t signed their first contract. In fact, four quarterbacks and seven selections total still haven’t put pen to paper. The first four quarterbacks drafted this year, including Fernando Mendoza (first overall), Simpson (13th), Carson Beck (65th) and Drew Allar (76th) are all without a deal so far, although it’s still far too early to be genuinely concerned about this. Since the rookie wage scale was implemented in 2011, every draft pick has a specific value each year. In other words, before the draft even starts, the total value of every pick’s contract is already set. Unlike the pre-2011 lockout world, when draft picks could negotiate salaries and early picks would eat up massive amounts of cap space, every team already knows what their picks will make, at least in terms of general value. Matthew Stafford , for example, got a six-year contract with a total value of $72 million when he was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 2009, with $41.7 million guaranteed. The salary cap was also just $123 million in 2009. For an example even closer to home, Sam Bradford ’s holdout and subsequent massive contract he signed following the 2010 draft was the final nail in the coffin for the old way of doing things. Needless to say, that’s not what’s happening with Ty Simpson and his fellow top-three round quarterbacks this year. For comparison’s sake, Mendoza’s eventual contract will be fully guaranteed, but will only be worth $57.3 million total value over four years. Simpson’s total value will be right around $25.4 million. In recent years, the hang-ups for draft pick deals have generally involved things like offset language or other relatively minute details. Rookies don’t hold out often anymore, even though there was an example of it last year when Shemar Stewart of the Cincinnati Bengals held out intro training camp. While we don’t have exact details yet, this is likely just the newest relatively minor mutation of the rookie wage scale era. As far as the first-round picks go, Simpson and Mendoza, there hasn’t been much change in how those contracts are done in recent years. The top-overall selection’s contract has been fully guaranteed since the scale was implemented, when Cam Newton signed for $22 million . Both of those aforementioned passers will get fully guaranteed deals this year, too. But the other fine-print details are the likely sticking points, and will likely set a precedent for next year’s class and those beyond it as well. It’s even easier to guess what’s going on with Beck and Allar, the third and fourth quarterbacks taken in this year’s draft. If you recall last year, almost every second-round pick held out well into July (right around this time last year, right before training camp, fittingly). That was entirely about guaranteed money and how much they were going to get after past second rounders only received partial guarantees on their rookie deals. Now, this year’s 64th-overall pick ( Bud Clark for the Seattle Seahawks ) has a rookie contract valued at $7.9 million with $5.4 million guaranteed, or, in other words, 68% of the deal is guaranteed. Last year, the 65th pick in the draft, Darius Alexander of the New York Giants , had just under $1.6 million of his $6.7 million overall contract guaranteed, or just below 24%. That’s a sizable disparity. Needless to say, you can understand why a quarterback drafted in that position wants a bigger guarantee. And next year, non-quarterbacks taken in the third round will want a guarantee commensurate with those of their classmates, and the process will continue down the line later and later into the draft. Deadlines spur action, and with training camp looming there’s a soft deadline on the horizon to work these contracts out. At this point it would be shocking if these quarterbacks don’t get on the field soon. The next time someone asks you why these deals aren’t done and should they be worried about it, you can [... truncated ...]
The NFL is suspending Arizona Cardinals director of college scouting Ryan Gold indefinitely for violating the league's gambling policy, CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones confirms . After an investigation, the NFL revealed that Gold had given insider, non-public information regarding the team's 2026 draft picks. The investigation shows the information was revealed before the Cardinals announced the picks. Gold was also found to place parlay bets on NFL and college games. He has the right to appeal. The league released a statement, noting that it doesn't believe any game was affected by Gold's actions but that it takes violations of the gambling policy seriously. "The Gambling Policy, which is annually reviewed with all NFL personnel, strictly prohibits anyone in the NFL from participating in or facilitating any form of sports gambling, and from providing third parties non-public information," the league said in a statement. "Although there is no reason to believe the integrity of any NFL game was affected, the League takes any violation of the Gambling Policy with the utmost seriousness." The Cardinals also issued a statement, explaining that the accusations only point to one employee and that the focus of the upcoming season remains top of mind. "The NFL's policies and expectations for all employees are clear, comprehensive, and consistently communicated. We fully support the league's decision in this matter, which involves a single employee. Our focus remains on preparing for the start of training camp next week and the 2026 season," the Cardinals statement said. In April's draft, the Cardinals selected Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love with the No. 3 overall pick, Texas A&M guard Chase Bisonti in the second round, Miami quarterback Carson Beck in the third round, Southeastern Louisiana defensive tackle Kaleb Proctor in the fourth and Texas Tech wide receiver Reggie Virgil in the fifth round. Their last two draft picks of 2026 were Iowa linebacker Karson Sharar in the sixth and Mississippi offensive tackle Jayden Williams in the seventh round. According to Jones, this is the first public gambling-related punishment in the league since 2023. Gold is in his second season as director of college scouting and his 13th season overall with Arizona. He was promoted ahead of the 2025 season after serving as the assistant director of college scouting. The Cardinals open their regular season on Sept. 13 against the Chargers in L.A
This year’s training camp for the Arizona Cardinals begins July 22 nd . That is about a week earlier than the other clubs in the league. This year, the Cardinals will play in the Hall of Fame Game to be played on Thursday, August 6, in Canton, Ohio. Kickoff is 8:00 p.m. (Eastern). The game will become one of the highlights of the weekend that will see former Cardinals’ receiver Larry Fitzgerald inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. RELATED: CAN THE CARDINALS GET YOU TO ‘BUY IN’ Playing in the annual exhibition contest in Canton requires both Arizona and the Carolina Panthers , the Cardinals’ opponent, to begin their training camp early. The squad is currently 90 players under contract, vying for the 53 jobs on the Week 1 roster. Several interesting battles will need to be addressed in this year’s camp. Obviously, this is front and center. In last year’s camp, it was cut and dry. Kyler Murray was healthy and the starter. Jacoby Brissett was signed as the starter, so the only question was who would become QB3. But this year, Brissett was named the starter, and then head coach Mike LaFleur appears to have retracted that assertion. He didn’t exactly say that Brissett was no longer the starter, but he leaned that way after the quarterback did not attend or participate in any of the offseason OTAs and minicamps. With the installation of a new offensive scheme, on-field reps and tutelage are critical to understand what happens next. This year’s signed backup, Gardner Minshew , looked good during the offseason sessions and has made some noise that he is working hard to claim the starting role. The opportunity opened up, and Minshew is trying to grab it if Brissett doesn’t want it or is willing to work for it. At the same time, rookie Carson Beck has the same angle. Show up for all practice sessions and every meeting, and stay in the weight room. Then tell the media that his goal is to start sooner rather than later. If Coach LaFleur has indeed retracted and opened up the starting role to competition, then Beck has raised his hand and wants it. How will this shake out? The Cardinals lost Jalen Thompson from last year’s group. He was a good player, and was strange that Ossenfort did not retain him. Of course, Budda Baker ’s house is full of Pro Bowl hardware. The question remains, who is going to replace Thompson, and who will fill the linebacker role in DC Nick Rallis’ 4-2-5 scheme? It was assumed that the Cardinals would draft a young buck for the safety room, but that came and went. Afterwards, Ossenfort did sign S Wydett Williams, Jr. from Ole Miss. The defensive back room is slapping full. Currently, there are 11 cornerbacks and seven safeties. During free agency, Ossenfort inked hard-hitting Andrew Wingard from the Philadelphia Eagles . He was signed to fill Thompson’s spot, but currently, on the unofficial depth chart, he is listed as the backup to Dadrion Taylor-Demerson instead. Wingard has played for seven years, while Taylor-Demerson is going into his third. For Wingard (6’-0”, 200 pounds), he has been in 102 games with 44 starts, 349 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 6 interceptions, 6 QB hits, 2 sacks, 22 batted passes, two fumble recoveries, 4 knockdowns, 9 hurries, 15 pressures, and 37 missed tackles. In pass coverage, Wingard has defended 63 targets with 33 completions, 6 picks, and a 52.4% completion percentage. Taylor-Demerson was selected by Arizona in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft. His career numbers are 29 games played with six starts, 96 total tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, 0 QB hits, 0 sacks, 11 batted passes, and 7 missed tackles. In pass coverage, Wingard has defended 27 targets with 17 completions, 2 picks, and a 66.0% completion percentage. When the defense goes into the 4-2-5, Rallis will often sit a linebacker and insert a safety in that position instead in order to get better pass coverage. But that player must be a really good tackler. That guy is Wingard.
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Data comes from cached Sleeper and KTC snapshots. Values update when the sync jobs run.
