When the Indianapolis Colts signed veteran Philip Rivers to be the quarterback under center, it was clear that Jacoby Brissett would be taking a backseat in the room.
After a disappointing 2019 season, the Colts had to look to the quarterback market to improve the position. Head coach Frank Reich talked to Brissett after it was made known that Rivers would be joining the Colts.
While Brissett wasn’t happy about reverting the backup position, Reich believes he will be a good teammate and work well with the veteran Rivers.
Reich on Jacoby's reaction: "I called Jacoby. … Honestly, he wasn't happy about it, but he's a great teammate and a great leader, and I'm sure he'll be good."
— Jim Ayello (@jimayello) March 31, 2020
Of course Brissett wasn’t going to be happy about losing his starting role. But the upgrade was necessary for the Colts to stay competitive in a wide-open division. Brissett’s play simply showed he wasn’t the type of quarterback that wants to look downfield to make a big play.
Whereas Rivers sometimes looks for a big play too often, which is why his interception totals are typically inflated.
Even with Brissett serving as the backup to Rivers, Reich admitted they will keep him in the game plan—even if that means getting him some work on five or six plays.
Reich says even though Brissett isn't the starter, that doesn't mean he won't see snaps. Might we see a Taysom Hill scenario? I wouldn't rule out 5-7 plays a game. "Certainly open to that," Reich says.
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) March 31, 2020
While it remains to be seen if that will actually happen, certainly because Brissett is not the athlete that Taysom Hill is, they seem committed to keeping Brissett no matter what.
The Colts have an expensive quarterback room in 2020, and it will be interesting to see how the dynamic in the room shakes out during the campaign.