When they dream about someday playing quarterback in the NFL, no kid pictures himself becoming Jacoby Brissett. Not this version anyway.
While being Patrick Mahomes or C.J. Stroud or Brock Purdy looks fun, there is no more thankless job in the NFL than Brissett’s. He’s the Patriots starting quarterback, which used to be among the more glamorous gigs in sports with a big salary and loads of endorsement offers.
Nobody expects him to start all year. Brissett will be the starter until first-round pick Drake Maye, the guy the Patriots think is their future, is ready to take over. Calling Brissett the starting quarterback is misleading. He’s the acting starter or the interim starter. Think QB1*.
It’ll be a thankless existence — lots of guts and no glory. But Brissett has embraced it.
“I’ve worked hard to get to this point and am excited for this journey that we’re about to embark on,” Brissett said. “I’m excited. It’s been a lot of work. A lot of long days, long nights – the journey to get to this point. I’m grateful for this opportunity but I’m also excited.”
Brissett is rostered in less than 2% of ESPN and Yahoo fantasy leagues. A Google search for “Jacoby Brissett replica jersey” brings back zero Patriots jerseys with his name and number — several old Colts uniforms but nothing from New England. A search for a Drake Maye replica jersey yields blue, white and throwback-red options from dozens of online retailers. The same one are prominently for sale at Gillette Stadium.
The Patriots will pay Brissett $8 million to be a big brother/role model/placeholder. That’d be great money for someone in the stands. Not so much for somebody on the field. Brissett’s salary ranks 31st among NFL quarterbacks and ranks behind backups Jarret Stidham, Trey Lance and Zach Wilson. Joe Burrow, Brissett’s counterpart for the Bengals on Sunday, makes more in three weeks than Brissett will all year.
Every snap Brissett takes and every pass he throws will come with the trap door beneath him. At some point, it will open sending him plummeting to irrelevance while the Maye era begins.
For most fans that can’t happen soon enough.
Because of that, many Patriots fans won’t be rooting for him. If he’s outstanding they’ll jump on the bandwagon in a hurry, of course. But anything that’s below what fans believe Maye will be in their imagination will earn Brissett scorn. If he’s average or lousy, which are both pretty likely behind that offensive line, he’s going to come under fire. Many will even be rooting for him to struggle hoping that speeds the switch to the first-round pick.
Gillette Stadium fans will be chanting for Maye every time the Patriots are losing at halftime. He’d be smart to avoid talk radio too.
While the Patriots can’t say it outright, part of the reason Brissett is starting is that they’re much more comfortable risking him than Maye behind their substandard offensive line. The conditions in New England aren’t good for a quarterback behind one of the NFL’s worst blocking units. With a rookie quarterback, the fear is he’ll either get injured or develop poorly if he’s constantly under siege.
If Brissett gets hurt or spends a season with defensive tackles in his face, it does little to affect the Patriots’ future. Finding a guy willing to play under those conditions isn’t easy. But Brissett understands his role.
“I’m excited for (Maye’s) future. He’s going to be a good quarterback in this league,” he said. “He came up to me and (said) ‘Whatever you need, I’m here for.’ It’s the same thing for him. Whatever he needs, I’ll do the same.”
Right now Maye needs mentoring. Brissett’s impact on New England’s future success will come from what Maye learns about quarterbacking and being a professional by watching him. It’s loosely the same relationship Crash Davis had with Nuke LaLoosh.
So far Brissett’s approach has left an impression on Jerod Mayo.
“I heard from a lot of players that Jacoby was a great leader, very selfless and all about the team. He’s proven those things to be true,” Mayo said. “He does a good job for us in the meeting rooms. He does a good job helping out all the quarterbacks as far as from a scheme standpoint. He’s done a good job.”
Follow MassLive sports columnist Matt Vautour on Twitter at @MattVautour424.’
