Minutes after agreeing to trade Case Keenum to the Bills, the Browns tabbed his replacement. Jacoby Brissett is expected to sign with Cleveland, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The former third-round pick agreed to a one-year deal.
Brissett backed up Tua Tagovailoa last season in Miami, but the Dolphins starter’s early-season injury opened the door for more starting opportunities for the North Carolina State alum. Given new Browns starter Deshaun Watson‘s off-field trouble, Brissett will be one of the league’s most important backups. He will almost certainly have an extended run as a starter in Cleveland, should Watson’s expected suspension hit in 2022.
[RELATED: Browns Acquire Watson From Texans]
Extended QB1 run on short notice will not be new to Brissett; such developments have essentially defined his career. The former Patriots draft pick became the Colts’ starter not long after a late-summer 2017 trade, with Andrew Luck‘s shoulder injury lingering throughout the 2017 season. Brissett started 15 games for Indianapolis that year. After Luck’s surprise late-summer 2019 retirement, Brissett again received the keys in Indy. While Brissett did not make any starts in 2020, Tagovailoa’s September injury led to a five-start season for his backup.
Leading a much better Colts team in 2019, Brissett upped his passer rating to a career-best 88.0 on 6.6 yards per attempt. While Brissett once again proved he is one of the NFL’s best backups, his Miami yards-per-attempt figure settled at just 5.7, as Jaylen Waddle racked up PPR points. Brissett, 29, did complete a career-high 62.7% of his passes with the Dolphins.
Cleveland constructed Watson’s contract around the likelihood of a 2022 suspension. With six games appearing to be the floor for a Watson ban, that will place a spotlight on Brissett, whose only start for a playoff-bound team came with the 2016 Patriots. The Browns’ polarizing trade will force them to count on Brissett for an extended stretch, perhaps to start the 2022 campaign.
If the price is close to the same, that’s a decent upgrade from Keenum to Brissett. Needed a QB that can start for the multiple games Watson is gonna be suspended for.
Before anyone comments, as of this post the contract details weren’t posted yet.
Is Brissett really an upgrade from Keenum? Genuinely asking because Brissett did not look good last year in my opinion.
Acquiring Watson is questionable at best and shameful at worst.
BUT…actually aiding and abetting Watson (by helping him shield his money from suspension) to help him avoid punishment is just vile.
Jimmy (Ripped Off His Own Customers) Haslam hiding the fugitive in his basement, financially speaking.
Jimmy (Defrauded Them of Millions) Haslam tossing the murder weapon in the lake, financially speaking.
Get out much?
I agree with him and love seeing anyone rip that fraud Haslam.
Watson was not charged by the Grand Jury but his being guilty in your mind apparently is the ultimate judgment
You just mad cuz it’s CLE. Steelers fan much…
Pengins fan.
Call Ben a rapist, go ahead. See if I care.
The Cleveland fans whitewashing it all are the equivalent of the people who cheered OJ’s White Bronco run, holding signs standing on highway overpasses.
He wasn’t charged so in my mind it’s nothing like the ladies are saying so at least keep that in mind go browns good pickup
Willful ignorance is one way to go through life.
What about Baker?