Jacoby Brissett re-signed with the New England Patriots this offseason, reuniting with the franchise that picked him in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft. While he’s back where his NFL career started, he’s had plenty of ups and downs in between those stints.
Brissett has bounced around the league, playing for five teams in nine seasons. Let’s revisit each of Brissett’s stops and how his career has panned out thus far.
Jacoby Brissett’s Various NFL Stops
Brissett is extremely respected in NFL circles, and he’s been solid when given a chance to play. This is why he keeps getting opportunity after opportunity even in his 30s.
New England Patriots
After shining at North Carolina State, Brissett generated some buzz ahead of the 2016 NFL Draft. He was in the same draft class as quarterbacks like Jared Goff and Carson Wentz. While Goff and Wentz were the top two picks, Brissett was selected in the third round at No. 91 overall.
It wouldn’t be long before Brissett made his NFL debut. During the 2016 season, Tom Brady was suspended for the first four games of the season due to “Deflategate” and Jimmy Garoppolo sprained his AC joint in the Patriots’ Week 2 game against the Miami Dolphins.
Brissett stepped in and made the most of his opportunity. He got his first start the following week against the Houston Texans. While he suffered a thumb injury during the contest, he played through it and continued to start until Brady returned. Once Brady came back in Week 5, Brissett had thumb surgery and was put on injured reserve.
Indianapolis Colts
During the 2017 offseason, Indianapolis Colts QB Andrew Luck underwent surgery on his shoulder. His rehab took longer than expected, causing him to miss the 2017 season. The Colts traded WR Phillip Dorsett to the Patriots in exchange for Brissett.
Scott Tolzien started the season opener against the Los Angeles Rams in 2017, but Brissett would take over in Week 2 and remain the starter. He threw for 3,098 yards, 13 touchdowns, and seven interceptions as the Colts stumbled to a 4-12 record. After Luck recovered from his shoulder surgery, Brissett would return to the backup role in 2018.
In 2019, Brissett was once again thrust into the starting lineup following Luck’s surprise retirement from the NFL. Exactly two years after he was traded to Indy, Brissett signed a two-year, $30 million contract extension. He threw for 2,942 yards, 18 touchdowns, and six interceptions with a 61% completion percentage while leading the Colts to a 7-8 record.
The following season, Indianapolis brought in Philip Rivers to elevate the performance at QB, so Brissett returned to a backup role. However, he still appeared in 11 games, primarily as a rusher. Indianapolis moved on from Brissett after the season.
Miami Dolphins
Brissett signed with the Dolphins during the 2021 offseason, reuniting him with former New England assistant coach Brian Flores. Tabbed to be the backup behind QB Tua Tagovailoa, Brissett saw the field much earlier than expected yet again. After Tagovailoa suffered a rib injury during Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills, Brissett took over and started the next three weeks.
Tagovailoa returned in Week 6 only to miss time again following a fracture in his throwing hand. Brissett played in Week 9 and started Week 10, but Tua was able to replace him in the second half. In the games that Brissett took 75% or more of the snaps, Miami went 1-4.
Flores was fired following the season and the Dolphins hired Mike McDaniel, who brought in Teddy Bridgewater to serve as Tagovailoa’s backup.
Cleveland Browns
In 2022, Brissett joined the Cleveland Browns, who would be without Deshaun Watson for the first 11 games of the season as a result of his sexual harassment allegations. This was an excellent opportunity for Brissett since he hadn’t started that many consecutive games since he was with the Colts three seasons earlier.
As the Browns’ starter, Brissett threw for 2,608 yards, 12 touchdowns, and six interceptions with a 64% completion percentage. He also rushed for 243 yards and two touchdowns. Cleveland was 4-7 with Brissett under center.
Washington Commanders
After moving on from the Browns, Brissett signed with the Washington Commanders, who wanted a veteran to serve as backup behind young QB Sam Howell. Brissett pushed Howell during training camp, and then later ended up playing in three games when Howell was benched.
Brissett played in three games, throwing for 224 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions with a 78.3% completion percentage. After these two games, the Commanders benched Howell and named Brissett the starter, but a hamstring injury sidelined Brissett before he could start a game.
New England Patriots (Again)
The Patriots drafted Drake Maye with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but they also signed Brissett over the offseason. Although Brissett might have been seen as a bridge QB until Maye was ready, he has outplayed the rookie, locking himself into the starting role.