Brissett believes he should be Patriots' QB1: 'I'm here to start'
Quarterback Jacoby Brissett believes he's the ideal signal-caller to lead the New England Patriots in 2024.
"I'm probably the perfect person to mentor the guys in my room, but I'm also the perfect person for this job to start," Brissett said, according to Kevin Patra of NFL Network.
"I don't take that lightly. I came here to play first. Every time I step out on that field and my teammates see me, I want them to know that everything that comes with me comes with me, but I'm here to start. I'm here to play and win games, and that's my plan."
Head coach Jerod Mayo said at the beginning of camp that Brissett was the most "pro-ready" quarterback on the roster, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
The Patriots signed the veteran to a one-year, $8-million contract in March. New England drafted Brissett in the third round in 2016, but he was dealt to the Indianapolis Colts in his second season after starter Andrew Luck was sidelined with a shoulder ailment.
Brissett saw action for the Washington Commanders down the stretch last season. He threw passes in two contests, completing 18 of 23 throws for 224 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.
The 31-year-old was last a starter in 2022 when he filled in for Cleveland Browns suspended quarterback Deshaun Watson. He went 4-7 in 11 starts, racking up 2,608 passing yards with 12 touchdowns and six picks. Out of 31 signal-callers with 200 snaps during that 11-game stretch, Brissett ranked ninth in EPA/play, per Ben Baldwin's database.
New England selected quarterback Drake Maye third overall in this year's draft to eventually lead the franchise.
"I want it to be abundantly clear who's the guy. I don't want anybody questioning anything about that. From Drake, he's done a good job," Brissett said.
"He's gotten better each and every day, and that's all you can ask for, all of us. I'm out there trying to get better each and every day. I want my teammates to see me going out there and see our room getting better each and every day because, at some point, we're all gonna need each other."
The Patriots have struggled to get consistency from their air attack over the last two years, ranking 30th in passing success rate and 31st in dropback EPA.