Jacoby Brissett didn’t perform well enough as a whole in 2019 to remain the starting quarterback in 2020. Philip Rivers was signed by the team to be the starter next season and Jacob Eason was drafted in the 4th round to potentially be the future franchise player for the team. This puts Brissett in a tight spot, as he’ll have to compete for the backup QB position with Eason for the job and for his future with the team. His contract expires at the end of the 2020 season.
Why he’s on the chopping block: Brissett was brought in prior to the 2017 season and started virtually the entire season, apart from the first half of Week 1. In 2018, he shifted to a backup role behind Andrew Luck. After his retirement, Brissett was back in the starting QB role in 2019 and underperformed as the starter.
After a great start to the season, where he threw for 14 touchdowns to only 3 interceptions in his first six games. After that, however, he only produced 4 touchdowns and 3 interceptions in his final 9 games. He broke 300 yards passing in only 3 games and was held under 200 yards in 9 games. He totaled only 2,942 yards on a 60.9% completion rate. With Rivers entrenched as the starter next year and Eason gunning for his backup spot, Brissett isn’t in a great position entering 2020.
Why he’s worth keeping: Brissett’s long-term future with the Colts all depends on two factors: Is Rivers a good enough upgrade, and can Brissett lock-in as the backup QB and win the job over Eason. Brissett only has control over one of those two things and given Rivers’ fit in the Colts’ scheme, the top-tier offensive line, and the new wealth of receiving talents to throw to, it seems that Rivers be an upgrade over him.
The controllable factor is whether or not Brissett can beat out Eason for the backup job. If he shows enough promise and potential, it’s likely he’ll be kept long-term as the backup behind RIvers and whoever else is potentially brought in, with a chance to be re-established as the starting QB. Brissett showed flashes that he’s a viable starter, but he’ll need to prove himself mightily next year if he’s going to stay.