5 things to know about returning Patriots QB Jacoby Brissett
The veteran quarterback returns home to the team that drafted him in 2016.
In less than 24 hours the Patriots shipped Mac Jones down to Jacksonville and signed former New England quarterback Jacoby Brissett.
On the first day of NFL free agency, Brissett reportedly agreed to a one-year, $8 million contract that includes up to $4 million in incentives, per ESPN.
Making good on their promise to triage New England’s biggest problem, Patriots de facto GM Eliot Wolf and head coach Jerod Mayo wasted no time in restructuring the quarterback room.
While it remains unclear whether or not Brissett will start the 2024 season, he adds an element to the position that has long been lacking – veteran leadership on and off the field.
Whether you remember him from his first stint in New England or not, here are five things to know about Jacoby Brissett.
A reunion in Foxborough
Brissett began his career in New England in 2016 when he was drafted in the third round (No. 91 overall) by Bill Belichick & co. Serving as the third string quarterback, Brissett made two starts during his single season with the Patriots, stepping in for an injured Jimmy Garroppolo during Tom Brady’s four-game Deflategate suspension.
During his two starts, the young backup went 1-1 despite suffering a finger injury along the way. Brissett ultimately recovered and helped the Patriots get to Super Bowl LI, where they defeated the Falcons 34-28.
Brissett has played for five teams in five years.
Following a successful rookie season in New England, Brissett was traded to the Colts in 2017. He spent two seasons sitting behind Andrew Luck before the starter unexpectedly retired two weeks before the 2019 season, thrusting Brissett into the spotlight.
During his first starting season Brissett threw for 2,942 passing yards, 18 passing touchdowns, and six interceptions to go along with 228 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns.
Brissett was relegated to backup in 2020 after the Colts traded for Phillip Rivers. Over Brissett’s four years in Indianapolis he completed 59.5 percent of his passes for 6,059 yards and 31 touchdowns. He also ran for 500 yards and 11 rushing scores.
Brissett went on to play one-year stints in Miami (2021) and Cleveland (2022) before signing a one-year, $10 million deal with the Commanders.
He knows the Alex Van Pelt offense.
Perhaps one of the most compelling reasons to sign Brissett is because of his familiarity with new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and quarterbacks coach T.C. McCartney. The three spent time together in Cleveland, where Brissett recorded his career best performances over 11 starts in 2022.
Starting for a then-suspended Deshaun Watson, Brissett played every offensive snap of the first 11 games, completing 64 percent of his passes for an 88.9 passer rating. His success under Van Pelt’s West Coast style offense is an encouraging indicator that he’ll find his stride in New England.
The veteran approaches each season with a ‘team-first’ mentality.
Brissett has a long track record of being a selfless player who uplifts his teammates on and off the field. And while that characteristic is always desired by coaches, it remains especially important for the Patriots as they weigh drafting a quarterback with their No. 3 overall pick.
Brissett’s success, starter or not, will depend on his ability to mentor a young signal-caller. Luckily, his commitment to his teams over the years is unwavering.
“Being a good teammate will trump anything, and that’s been the case, no matter my role, throughout my career,” Brissett said in 2023 before his backup season behind Sam Howell. “Just finding ways to help each other get better for our own benefit, but also our room, for our offense and also for this team.”
Brissett’s experience sitting behind quarterbacks – Brady, then Luck – early in his career no doubt had an impact on his leadership style. But his support for his teammates started well before his professional career.
In 2012, Brissett transferred from the University of Florida to North Carolina State. Due to NCAA transfer rules however, he wasn’t allowed to suit up for a year. Unable to participate in any team activities, including travel, Brissett still wanted to build a relationship with his teammates.
His solution? Drive himself to every away game and cheer from the sidelines. During the 2012 season, Brissett only missed one matchup versus Boston College.
Before he was a quarterback, he was a point guard.
A year after leading Florida’s Dwyer High School to a football state championship as a junior, Brissett won his school another state title – in basketball.
“Basketball was my first love,” the point-guard-turner-quarterback told the IndyStar in 2017.
He remained a dual-sport athlete through his senior year, winning the Palm Beach County large classification Player of the Year honors in football and basketball.
It’s hard not to acknowledge how similar Brissett’s athletic history sounds to a young quarterback in this year’s draft class, Drake Maye. Maye, who has been connected to the Patriots and projected to go top 3 in the NFL draft, was also a star basketball player throughout high school. The two quarterbacks possess the same innate athleticism and even have near-identical measurements. Both Brissett and Maye measure in at six-foot-four-inches, with Brissett (231) weighing just two pounds more than Maye (229).
If Maye were to come to New England, the two sure would have a lot to talk about on and off the field.
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