No kid dreams of one day playing quarterback in the NFL and sees himself as Jacoby Brissett. At least not this version.
While it’s fun to be Patrick Mahomes, CJ Stroud or Brock Purdy, there’s no more thankless job in the NFL than Brissett’s. He’s the Patriots’ starting quarterback, which used to be one of the more glamorous jobs in sports, with a big salary and numerous endorsement deals.
In 2024, this is a temporary position.
No one expects him to be in the starting lineup all year. Brissett will be the starter until first-round pick Drake Maye, the man the Patriots believe is their future, is ready to take over. Calling Brissett the starting quarterback is misleading. He is the alternate starter or the interim starter. Think QB1*.
It will be a thankless life – lots of courage and no glory. But Brissett has accepted it.
“I’ve worked hard to get to this point and I’m excited about the journey 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 — getting to this point. I’m grateful for this opportunity, but I’m also excited.”
Brissett is on the roster 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 jerseys, but none from New England. A search for a Drake Maye replica jersey yields blue, white and nostalgic red options at dozens of online retailers. The same ones are sold prominently at Gillette Stadium.
- Buy Drake Mayes Patriots Jersey No. 10 here
The Patriots will pay Brissett $8 million to be a big brother/role model/placeholder. That would be a lot of money for someone in the stands. For someone on the field, not so much. Brissett’s salary ranks 31st among NFL quarterbacks, trailing 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 makes in an entire year.
Every snap Brissett takes and every pass he throws will have a trapdoor underneath him. Eventually, it will open and send him plummeting into irrelevance as the Maye era begins.
For most fans, this can’t happen fast enough.
Because of this, many Patriots fans will not be rooting for him. If he’s outstanding, they’ll obviously be quick to jump on the bandwagon. But anything below what fans expect from Maye will earn Brissett’s scorn. If he’s average or lousy, which is quite likely behind this offensive line, he’ll come under fire. Many will even wish him trouble in the hopes that it will speed up the move to a first-round pick.
Gillette Stadium fans will cheer Maye on every time the Patriots trail at halftime. He would also be wise to avoid talk radio.
While the Patriots can’t say it outright, one of the reasons Brissett is in the starting lineup is because they’d much rather risk him behind their subpar offensive line than Maye. The conditions in New England aren’t great for a quarterback behind one of the NFL’s worst blocking units. With a rookie quarterback, there’s a fear that he’ll either get injured or develop poorly if he’s constantly under pressure.
If Brissett gets injured or spends a season with defensive tackles breathing down his neck, it will have little impact on the Patriots’ future. It’s not easy to find a player who wants to play under those conditions. But Brissett understands his role.
“I’m excited about (Maye’s) future. He’s going to be a good quarterback in this league,” he said. “He came to me and said, ‘Whatever you need, I’m here for you.’ It’s the same with him. Whatever he needs, I’ll do the same.”
Right now, Maye needs a mentor. Brissett’s impact on New England’s future success will depend on what Maye learns about quarterbacking and professional conduct through his observation. It’s much the same relationship Crash Davis had with Nuke LaLoosh.
So far, Brissett’s approach has impressed Jerod Mayo.
“I’ve heard from a lot of players that Jacoby was a great leader, very selfless and very focused on the team. He’s proven that to be true,” Mayo said. “He does a good job for us in the meeting rooms. He helps all the quarterbacks well with game strategy. He’s done a good job.”
Follow MassLive sports columnist Matt Vautour on Twitter at @MattVautour424.’
