The Indianapolis Colts have been making plenty of moves this offseason, including a few at the quarterback position. How this impacts Jacoby Brissett might not be fully clear, but it seems they could be intent on keeping him on the roster.
Despite that carrying a $21.3 million salary cap hit for the 2020 season and despite the Colts being able to save money if they trade him, their intent is reportedly to keep Brissett on the roster, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.
Colts’ full intentions are to keep Jacoby Brissett, I'm told. His contract calls for $7M guarantee tomorrow and $6M salary, so perhaps that affects some things, but the team considers him a special guy and wants him in the fold.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) March 21, 2020
Following the signing of Philip Rivers to a one year deal, one that reportedly guarantees him $25 million for the 2020 season, it seemed like a fair idea that the Colts might entertain trade offers or look for potential suitors for the 27-year-old. However, it seems that isn’t the case right now.
Brissett was less than stellar during the 2019 season. He got off to a hot start, one that was unsustainable, and a plethora of factors led to his decline during the second half. His efficiency came crashing down, his wide receivers got hurt and he suffered a knee injury that may have had a longer impact than initially thought.
Brissett is still a player the Colts have high respect for. He was a captain and a well-respected leader in the locker room. That said, his performance in 2019 showed the Colts he wasn’t the long-term solution. This forced them to find a better short-term solution while potentially addressing the long term in the draft.
At this time, the NFL offseason is unpredictable so nothing should be taken as set in stone, but it seems the Colts may not have any desire to trade Brissett away despite his large salary cap hit.