Brissett playing a key role in helping the Patriots learn Van Pelt’s offense originally appeared in NBC Sports Boston
Jacoby Brissett seemed like a natural fit for the New England Patriots when the team signed him to a one-year contract this offseason. Through just over a week of training, he’s proving why.
In addition to looking sharp in practice at Gillette StadiumThe veteran quarterback has taken on a leadership role on a young Patriots team that includes two rookie QBs – Drake Maye and Joe Milton – and several first- or second-year players on offense.
Brissett is particularly qualified for this role considering he spent the 2022 season with new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt on the Browns when Van Pelt was Cleveland’s OC. And according to second-year wide receiver DeMario Douglas, Brissett was instrumental in helping his teammates dominate Van Pelt’s offense.
“Leadership,” Douglas told reporters on Saturday when asked what Brissett brought to the team, as seen in the video player above. “He’s been in the game for a minute and he knows – he played with Tom (Brady) so he has a great knowledge of the game and he’s teaching us.”
Douglas revealed that he sits next to Brissett during team meetings, and that the nine-year veteran has taken it upon himself to ensure the 23-year-old is on the same page.
“I sit next to him in meeting rooms, and he’s like, ‘Do you see that? Do you see that?’” Douglas added of Brissett. “So as we share it, it gets easier on the field.”
While all eyes are on Maye as the third overall pick, Brissett took reps as the starting QB throughout camp and will likely begin the season as QB1 unless Maye makes major strides during the preseason. That’s due in part to Brissett’s wealth of experience — he’s played in 79 NFL games and made 48 starts in eight seasons since the Patriots drafted him in 2016 — but also to his knowledge of the current offense and his ability to communicate it. to your teammates. .
“He’s been great, man,” Patriots tight end Hunter Henry said Saturday. “On and off the field he has been fantastic.
“He’s fun to work with. He’s been around; he’s been in a lot of different offenses, he’s been in this offense, so he’s helping me a lot just to see things in this offense, how he sees things, maybe how I see things with different routes. So communication has been great.”
Brissett probably isn’t among the top 15 or 20 quarterbacks in the NFL, and New England might not win many games this season regardless of who is under center. But for a team looking to the future, the 31-year-old is a valuable asset to have in Foxboro.
