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Jacoby Brissett gives a candid summary of ‘tough year’ with Patriots
"There’s so much I could say, but I guess, ‘not ideal.’ Obviously, a unique situation here."
In a season where little has gone right in New England, the Patriots have been bolstered by the promise of Drake Maye as the team’s franchise quarterback.
But Maye’s impressive returns and ascension up the depth chart this fall have also come to the detriment of veteran QB Jacoby Brissett.
Brissett signed a one-year contract with the Patriots in March in hopes of serving as a bridge starter for New England. Sure enough, the Patriots opened the year with Brissett as the starting QB and Maye slated for a backup role.
But Brissett and New England’s offense labored after a surprising Week 1 win over the Bengals, with Maye eventually taking over as the team’s QB1 after a 1-4 start.
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Even though Brissett did help lead New England to a win over the Jets on Oct. 27 after Maye exited the game with a concussion, the 32-year-old QB has primarily been an afterthought in New England’s gameplan down the stretch.
There’s no question that New England’s ceiling on offense has raised significantly since Maye has taken over.
But Brissett admitted in an interview with ESPN’s Mike Reiss that his limited starting reps in 2024 stood as a tough pill to swallow.
“There’s so much I could say, but I guess, ‘not ideal.’ Obviously, a unique situation here,” Brissett told Reiss. “I’m not the one to make excuses, but at some point somebody is going to have to watch the film and understand what I was dealing with. I think that kind of speaks for itself. I think it’s very easy for people to blame the quarterback for things — that’s what this profession is — but yeah man, tough year.
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Even though Brissett’s own play (828 passing yards, two touchdowns, one interception) has not moved the needle for New England’s offense, he wasn’t aided by a roster marred by poor O-line play and a dearth of pass-catching weapons.
But even with both Brissett and the team’s overall struggles in 2024, New England reportedly values Brissett’s experience and ability to help a young QB room also featuring Maye and Joe Milton III.
“If the Patriots had their way, they would be returning the same group in 2025,” Reiss wrote. “According to sources involved in the negotiations, when the Patriots were courting (Jacoby) Brissett in the offseason, they were offering him a two-year contract.”
“That’s my guy, man. I’ve never let work get in the way of people. Those are two different things and that’s what I told him when we started off,” Brissett added when asked about Maye’s development. “My feelings have only gotten better for him. Been able to gain a relationship and now we’re tied in for a while. I’m excited for his career, and obviously being a part of that now, and excited to see where that goes for him.”
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Even if Brissett stands as a solid backup QB option moving forward in 2025 as Maye continues to develop, the veteran was noncommittal about returning to Foxborough next season.
“I don’t know. It’s kind of early to tell that,” Brissett told Reiss.
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