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Eagles Rumors: Jacoby Brissett Interests PHI in FA After Carson Wentz Trade
March 15, 2021
The Philadelphia Eagles seem likely to give Jalen Hurts the 2021 season to prove whether he can be their franchise quarterback.
But bringing in a solid veteran as a backup would make sense. One player to keep an eye on is Jacoby Brissett. NFL insider Adam Caplan said on the Inside the Birds podcast Monday that the Eagles "have interest" in the former Indianapolis Colts quarterback.
Brissett, 28, spent 2020 as Philip Rivers' backup in Indianapolis, finishing 2-of-8 for 17 yards. He was sacked twice.
He was the team's starter in 2019 to mixed results, throwing for 2,942 yards, 18 touchdowns and six interceptions while completing 60.9 percent of his passes and taking 27 sacks. The Colts, however, went just 7-8 in his starts.
With former Eagles starter Carson Wentz now with the Colts, Brissett seems likely to move on unless he's interested in remaining in Indy as a backup. More than likely, teams around the NFL view him as a solid backup option rather than a starter, though he could be viewed as a bridge starter for teams who draft young quarterbacks this offseason.
In Philly, he would be an insurance policy for Hurts, who made four starts for the Eagles in 2020 and also was utilized as something of a wildcat quarterback for the team while Wentz was still the starter. In all he threw for 1,061 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions, completing 52 percent of his passes and taking 13 sacks. The Eagles went 1-3 in his starts.
The stats don't look great, but Philly's offense was poor across the board and showed signs of life under Hurts. That's how bad Wentz was in 2020. Hurts' dual-threat capabilities and promising play as a rookie has earned him the right to prove whether he can be the Eagles' starter of the future.
As for Brissett, he worked with new Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni in Indianapolis and has familiarity with the scheme he will employ in Philly. That comfort level could also help Brissett tutor Hurts on the new scheme he will be learning, making him a logical addition should the Birds be able to shed enough salary to sign him.