Jacoby Brissett will take the field Sunday in New York with a familiar voice likely waiting afterward: Bill Parcells, the Hall of Fame coach who has mentored the Arizona Cardinals quarterback since Brissett was a teenager.
The Cardinals visit the New York Giants at 1 p.m. ET on CBS, bringing Parcells’ former franchise into a matchup with the quarterback he has treated like family for nearly two decades. Brissett, 33, and Parcells have spoken after each of Arizona’s first three games this season, and another postgame conversation is expected after Sunday’s meeting.
Parcells, who turned 85 in August, first got to know Brissett while visiting practices at William T. Dwyer High School in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. The coach had developed a relationship with Brissett’s high school coach and soon became a trusted adviser to a player who initially saw basketball as his best path.
Brissett said he disliked football in his early high school years and did not immediately understand why Parcells was around the program. As their conversations grew, however, Parcells offered guidance that extended far beyond the quarterback position, including advice on preparation, finances and handling the demands of an NFL career.
“I wouldn’t be where I am without him,” Brissett said, adding that he believes his life could have gone in a much different direction without Parcells pushing him toward football.
The relationship has included the blunt, practical coaching style for which Parcells became known. He urged Brissett to continue pursuing football after high school, then supported him when he chose Florida despite entering a quarterback room that included highly regarded recruit Jeff Driskel.
Before the 2016 NFL draft, Parcells even helped Brissett train at his old high school. Brissett recalled the then-75-year-old coach kneeling in wet conditions to snap him the ball while he threw routes in the rain.
Parcells has remained invested in the quarterback’s work habits. Brissett said he still receives requests for offseason workout video, with Parcells offering opinions on everything from conditioning to lifting form.
Financial discipline has been another recurring theme. Parcells regularly asks Brissett whether he is saving money, often raising the question at both the beginning and end of a conversation.
That counsel carried particular relevance this offseason. Brissett did not participate in voluntary organized team activities or minicamp amid a contract disagreement, then attended mandatory minicamp in June without taking part in on-field work. He agreed to terms July 26 on a deal featuring $15.5 million guaranteed and a potential value of $21 million through incentives.
Parcells’ influence was evident from Brissett’s first NFL season. As a Patriots rookie, Brissett was invited to the NFLPA Rookie Premiere in Los Angeles, a multiday gathering built around business programming, networking and photo opportunities. Parcells instead advised him to remain with New England, believing he could be needed while Tom Brady served his four-game Deflategate suspension.
Brissett stayed behind, spent time studying the playbook and followed Parcells’ instruction to avoid distractions. Within a month, he was playing in an NFL game as a rookie.
Parcells also encouraged Brissett during periods when playing time was difficult to find. His message was that opportunity had to be earned through persistence and performance rather than frustration.
Brissett entered the league as a third-round pick in 2016 and is now in his 11th NFL season and with his sixth organization. He has made only four Week 1 starts during that span, including this season, and has never signed a deal longer than two years beyond his original rookie contract. His two-year agreements came with the Indianapolis Colts in 2019 and the Cardinals in 2025.
The quarterback said Parcells often reminded him he was unlikely to be the first choice, but could make himself the best choice through preparation, consistency and being a strong teammate. Brissett eventually came to view that tough message as an honest assessment rather than criticism.
This season has presented a different opportunity. Brissett received the first-team quarterback work in training camp and opened the year as Arizona’s starter. He enters Sunday ranked ninth in the NFL in QBR at 69.6.
Parcells’ directive remains simple: lead the offense into the end zone. He has long believed Brissett had the traits to start in the league, even if the quarterback needed time and resilience to secure a sustained chance.
Week ahead: Cardinals travel to face Giants
Arizona faces the Giants on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET in New York, with CBS carrying the game. Parcells won two Super Bowls as Giants head coach, and Brissett expects to reconnect with his longtime mentor after the Cardinals’ fourth game of the season.
