The New England Patriots have already restructured their coaching staff for the second consecutive offseason. Now it is time for the real work with an expected overhaul of the roster coming.
Free agency will be a key part of this process. And while adding external players to the mix will undoubtably happen with over $125 million in projected cap space, there are also a few in-house free agents to be taken care of. In total, 15 are in need of a new contract prior to free agency.
Among them is quarterback Jacoby Brissett, the first player in our free agency profile series.
Hard facts
Name: Jacoby Brissett
Position: Quarterback
Opening day age: 32 (12/11/1991)
Size: 6’4”, 235 lbs
Jersey number: 7
Free agency status: Unrestricted free agent (UFA)
Experience
Brissett began his collegiate career at the University of Florida before transferring to North Carolina State. In two seasons as the Wolfpack’s starting quarterback, he completed 458 of 765 pass attempts (59.8%) for 5,258 yards, 43 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, while adding 899 yards on the ground with nine scores.
His play led to Brissett being a target for the Patriots in the 2016 NFL Draft. The team selected him 91st overall in the third round where he originally served as their No. 3 option on the depth chart behind Tom Brady and Jimmy Garoppolo. Nonetheless, a suspension to Brady and injuries to Garoppolo forced Brissett into three games (two starts) for the eventual Super Bowl champions.
Brissett went 34-of-55 (61.8%) for 400 yards with 83 yards and a touchdown on the ground — that came in a primetime win in his first career start. But even though he had shown promise his rookie year, the Patriots decided to send him to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for wide receiver Phillip Dorsett ahead of the 2017 season.
Brissett spent four years as a Colt and started 30 total games. He signed with the Miami Dolphins in 2021, adding five more starts to his résumé, before another one-and-done stint with the Cleveland Browns in 2022. After 11 starts as a Brown, he then joined the Commanders in a backup capacity the following offseason.
Returning to New England last offseason on a one-year deal, Brissett started the first five games of the season before reverting to the bench for rookie Drake Maye. Maye praised the veteran, who won a game vs. the Jets in relief after the rookie went down with an injury, for his help behind the scenes throughout the year.
2024 review
Stats: 8 games (5 starts) | 351 offensive snaps | 95-of-161 (59.0%), 826 passing yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT | 15 carries, 62 yards
Season recap: Reuniting with offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt in New England, Brissett operated as the lead man in the Patriots four-person QB room during the spring. While the coaches then deemed training camp as a quarterback competition between the veteran and rookie, Brissett dominated the first-team snaps throughout which resulted in him being named the Week 1 starter.
Leading an upset victory in Week 1, Brissett took care of the football and made a few key plays with his legs in the victory where he threw for just 121 yards. The following week Brissett managed just 149 yards and a touchdown through the air in an overtime defeat to the Seahawks.
Despite playing in two close games, there were warning signs with the Brissett-led passing game. The veteran was certainly taking his fair share of hits behind a patch work offensive line but seemed to be leaving plays on the field by holding onto the ball and not attacking tight windows downfield.
Those problems came boiling over in a Thursday Night blowout loss to the New York Jets where Brissett managed just 98 yards and three points while being under pressure on over 50 percent of his drop backs. Then came the turnovers the following week in San Francisco as Brissett threw his first interception of the year to go with five turnover worthy plays.
The calls got louder for rookie Drake Maye to take over as Brissett’s play was on the decline and the Patriots returned home in Week 5. Yet, it was the veteran suiting up to take on the Dolphins where he threw for 160 yards but Ja’Lynn Polk not getting his heel down in the end zone led to New England’s fourth straight loss.
That opened the door for Maye to take over as the starter in Week 6. Brissett was back in action in Week 8 when Maye was placed into concussion protocol mid-game and he went on to lead a last-second game-winning drive — behind maybe his best throw of the year to Kayshon Boutte downfield.
With Maye back the following week, Brissett did not start another game all season but continued to receive praise from the rookie for their friendship plus his help behind the scenes.
Free agency preview
What is his contract history? After finishing his rookie contract in Indianapolis, Brissett signed a two-year, $30 million extension with the Colts in 2019. Following the conclusion of that deal, Brissett went on to sign four straight one-year deals — the first two valued at $5 and $4.65 million with each of the last two both holding a value of $8 million.
Which teams might be in the running? Brissett likely will try to look for a role similar to that he held in New England last year: starting the year under center and keeping the seat warm for a potential younger option. That could include QB-needy teams such as the Tennessee Titans, New York Giants, New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Tom Brady’s Las Vegas Raiders. If Brissett settles into a backup role, he could reunite with his former QB coach Marcus Brady with the Los Angeles Chargers or go back to Miami to backup Tua Tagovailoa.
Why should he be expected back? If Brissett’s market is not what he expects, he could return to New England and continue to backup Drake Maye. Beyond his relationship with the quarterback, Brissett has worked under offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels during his first stint in New England and quarterbacks coach Ashton Grant in Cleveland. His knowledge of both systems could be a strong selling point to bring back the veteran.
Why should he be expected to leave? Brissett’s play over his five starts last year left a lot to be desired and the veteran will now be 32 entering next season. With the way Joe Milton developed and played in Week 18, the sophomore gunslinger provides a more intriguing option to continue to work with as a backup quarterback moving forward.
What is his projected free agency outcome? Jacoby Brissett will look for a bigger opportunity elsewhere as the Patriots move forward with Drake Maye, Joe Milton, and another low-cost addition in their quarterback room.
