Jacoby Brissett's success in place of Deshaun Watson serves as another reason he deserves a starting job in the NFL
Retaining a starting job at quarterback in the NFL isn't easy if you aren't a household name; just ask Browns' QB Jacoby Brissett.
In the NFL, a single subpar season could spell the end of your time as a team's QB1 for good. In some cases, a quarterback can consistently play well when given the opportunity to start, yet still suffer the same fate. The latter is the case for Brissett.
Over his career, Jacoby Brissett has tossed 48 touchdowns with 23 interceptions, logging a quarterback rating of 84.4. On the ground, Brissett has tallied an additional 891 yards and 15 touchdowns to date.
These are fine numbers. Yet, the 29-year-old hasn't landed a job as a team's true QB1 since his first crack as a starter in 2019.
As a fill-in for Deshaun Watson with the Cleveland Browns, Jacoby Brissett has simply been remarkable. The veteran quarterback has logged 16 touchdowns and 2,608 yards through the air, with career-highs in multiple categories, including: passing yards per game (237.1), completion percentage (64.1%), on-target pass percentage (75.6%), and QB rating (89.1).
Beyond this, the first-year Browns' quarterback is the ninth-highest graded QB via Pro Football Focus. His 4.5% big throw percentage (throws with "excellent" timing and accuracy in key situations) ranks ninth-highest among starting QBs, and only 3.1% of his throws are deemed turnover worthy.
Not to mention, he makes blocks like this.
Jacoby Brissett with the biggest block in Cleveland Sports History. FACT. https://t.co/YnGbExjlSi
Now, after serving his suspension in full, Deshaun Watson will overtake Brissett as the team's QB1. The first 12 weeks of the 2022 season have come and gone, but Brissett's play stays with us, serving as yet another reason why he deserves a starting job in the NFL.
Jacoby Brissett has impressed each time he's filled in as a starting quarterback
Brissett has been great while filling in as the Browns' QB1. Likewise, he's been impressive each time he's been asked to be a team's starting quarterback.
In 2017, Jacoby Brissett stepped up as the fill-in QB for the Indianapolis Colts while former first-overall pick Andrew Luck missed the season with an injury. As the starter, Brissett threw for a career-high 3,098 yards with 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions. The former third-round pick also set a career-high rushing yards mark of 260, scoring four additional times with his legs.
Two years later, in 2019, Brissett was given a legitimate starting opportunity with the Colts. Here, he recorded a career-high touchdown percentage (3.0%) with a career-low interception percentage (1.3%).
Brissett also rushed for four touchdowns once more, setting career-highs in yards per game (196,1) and QB rating (88.0), both of which would be broken this year as the quarterback in Cleveland.
Put these success stories together, and you get one underlying message: Jacoby Brissett deserves a real chance at being a team's signal caller.