The Indianapolis Colts have said over the past two seasons that they feel the quarterback room is sporting two top-20 players at the position in starter Andrew Luck and backup Jacoby Brissett.
As Luck continues to work his way back from a calf/ankle injury that has kept him out of the preseason, Brissett has stepped in as the starter running with the first-team offense.
In ranking backup quarterbacks in the NFL, Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire ranked Brissett as the fourth-best in the league.
If anything happens to starter Andrew Luck, the Colts have the luxury of turning to Brissett, who has experience as a starter in their system. In 2017, Brissett started 15 games in place of an injured Luck. He wasn’t great as he threw for 3,098 yards. But he was reasonably competent and didn’t make a lot of bad throws as he finished with just seven interceptions. As a backup with starting experience, Brissett is a bargain this season with a $2 million salary. But the Colts better enjoy this luxury while they can. Brissett can become a free agent in 2020 and it’s likely he’ll get offers from teams willing to give him a chance to start.
Brissett was the starter for the Colts when Luck missed the entire season as he tried to come back from shoulder surgery. He did what he could with the supporting cast he was given and if he has to step in Week 1 in 2019, things could be very different.
What also might not get a lot of attention is Brissett’s impact in the locker room. It’s rare for a backup quarterback to be the kind of leader he is, but the 25-year-old is beloved in the clubhouse while also being a leader when he’s on the field.
It’s nearly impossible to replicate the production Luck gives the Colts, but the organization feels comfortable if they have to trot out Brissett in the meantime.
