Colts: Jacoby Brissett won’t be handed starting job anywhere after leaving Indy

Colts QB Jacoby Brissett spoke to reporters about the Philip Rivers signing.

The Indianapolis Colts made a strong statement this offseason when they signed Philip Rivers in free agency to be the starting quarterback in 2020. The 38-year-old vet inked a one-year deal, and his arrival means that Jacoby Brissett, who started 15 games last campaign, will be pushed to the bench in the final year of his contract.

In other words, Brissett — barring injury or Rivers playing so awful that he forces head coach Frank Reich’s hand in benching him — has started his last game for the Colts.

On Friday, the former third-round pick spoke to reporters for the first time since Indianapolis signed Rivers, and boldly disclosed his confidence in becoming a starter in the NFL again, wherever that may be.

“I still believe in myself, I still believe I’m a starter in this league, and I still believe I can play at a very high level and I believe I did that last year,” Brissett said, according to ESPN’s Mike Wells. “I know I’ll be a starter in this league again one day, wherever that may be.”

That confidence is extremely admirable, but Brissett has to understand he isn’t going to be handed a starting job, as the NFL is flush with as much talent at the QB position as we’ve seen in a long time. Out of 32 teams, you could argue that only a handful are in the market for long-term security under center.

The 27-year-old performed well with the Colts after being thrust into the spotlight following Andrew Luck’s shocking retirement last preseason. He finished 7-8 as the starter, throwing for 2,942 yards, and 18 touchdowns compared to six interceptions while completing 60.9% of his passes. When you consider the rash of injuries to Indy’s wide receivers, those are pretty solid numbers.

We don’t doubt that the North Carolina State product will land on his feet somewhere next offseason, and his confidence will go a long way in aiding that transition.

However, we hope he knows that winning a starting job won’t be a walk in the park, and likely won’t happen immediately. Teams with vacancies aren’t planning on using Brissett right about now — they’re thinking bigger.