Back in March, the Cleveland Browns signed quarterback Jacoby Brissett, likely as a one-year insurance policy.
The signing came just a handful of days after Cleveland traded for Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson.
And the Browns likely knew they would need another experienced arm in the quarterback room.
That’s because Watson might (or might not) suit up this season.
As it stands, Watson faces 22 civil lawsuits for sexual harassment and assault.
While those civil suits aren’t scheduled until next year, there’s a chance the NFL weighs in before then.
In an offseason full of extended suspensions for players like Calvin Ridley and Deandre Hopkins, it wouldn’t be surprising if Watson faced a lengthy suspension.
*whispers*
I wish the Jacoby Brissett deal was longer than one-year. #Browns
— Nick Pedone (@NickPedone12) May 9, 2022
Which perfectly explains the team’s move to grab Jacoby Brissett.
And while the journeyman QB has bounced around the league for some time, who exactly is this guy?
Here are three things you never knew about Brissett:
1. No Agent, No Problem
Brissett was drafted with the no. 91 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots.
Side note: you would think someone who was Tom Brady’s understudy for a few years would have a slightly better completion-interception ratio (36-17).
And out of the 253 players drafted in 2016, Brissett was a singular outlier.
252 of those guys hired an agent; Brissett did not.
In fact, Brissett entered contract negotiations with the Patriots on his own.
Those negotiations must have resembled the end of Rounders, with Brissett as Mike McDermott facing off against the hardened and battle tested Teddy K.G.B. aka Bill Belichick.
All in all, he got himself a solid deal: four years, $3.4 million.
In recent years, more players have negotiated deals for themselves.
After being dealt to Arizona, Deandre Hopkins negotiated his $54.5 million extension.
Richard Sherman, Laremy Tunsil, and Bobby Wagner have all followed in Brissett’s footsteps.
But the most famous case, at least at present is Lamar Jackson, who could be well on his way to earning $45 million per year.
Maybe it gets a little easier negotiating your own contract after an MVP Award?
2. “One Snap”
Legendary NFL coach Bill Parcells doesn’t call Brissett “Jacoby.”
Or “Jake” or “Coby.”
Parcels prefers another nickname: “One Snap.”
According to Parcells, it’s not a knock; in fact, it’s the exact opposite:
“That’s a message. [Brissett] understood it. I was trying to put his ears up like a German Shepherd. ‘Put your ears up; you are only one snap from playing.’”
That nickname was oddly prophetic for Brissett.
In New England, he was, quite literally, one snap away after Tom Brady was suspended post-Deflategate and backup Jimmy Garoppolo went down with an injury.
Suddenly, just months after the draft, the third-string Brissett was pressed into duty.
And while he didn’t play lights out, he kept the ship afloat long enough for Tom Brady to retake the reins and remain in the thick of the AFC East.
Flash forward to 2019–Brissett was backing up another projected Hall of Famer in Andrew Luck for the Indianapolis Colts.
Jacoby Brissett with a daunting start if Watson is out serving suspension #Browns https://t.co/ztjghC6saY
— Steve Bailey (@SteveBailey80) May 11, 2022
Then, with only a few weeks before the start of the season, Luck shockingly retired.
Brissett was once again the go-to and once again just one snap away.
And now, in Cleveland, Brissett is once again “one snap” (or really, “one flick of Roger Goodell’s pen” away) from starting games for the Browns.
Is there anything Parcells can’t do?
3. Ramblin’ Man
There’s a few reasons Brissett continues to find work in the NFL.
And one of those has to be his tireless support of teammates.
This spirit was showcased all the way back in his college days.
Brissett transferred from Florida to North Carolina State in 2013, but was forced to sit out a year per the transfer rules.
But that season, Brissett drove to every single road game except one.
It earned him the love and respect of his teammates and certainly contributed to his successes the following season when he started for the Wolfpack.
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