FOXBORO, Mass. — New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick noted multiple benefits of activating rookie quarterback Jacoby Brissett off injured reserve during Friday’s news conference.
Brissett’s ability to practice helps the Patriots give Tom Brady time to nurse his injured thigh, and the rookie QB can work with recently added wide receiver Michael Floyd before, during and after practice to learn the offense.
“I think in a lot of cases we would facilitate it,” Belichick said. “I think in this particular case it helps both players. I think when you have to explain what you do to somebody else, it helps you understand it better in Jacoby’s case.
“The coaches are involved in a lot of — look we all have things we have to do on a regular, weekly basis preparing our different position groups and breaking down film, getting ready for practice and organizing meetings and so forth, so it’s hard for coaches to drop what he’s doing for two or three hours and go meet with a player. We do that, and we balance it often, but there’s also a place where you have the player that’s available that can do it and it’s kind of the right situation like this one is, and that can be beneficial for the coaching staff, it can be beneficial to the player, it can be beneficial to the new player to have somebody go through that not as a coach but in this case probably the guy who’s more important than the coach — the guy who’s throwing the ball.
“That’s an important relationship to have between the receiver and the quarterback. Sometimes it works out. Again, there’s no set formula or way of doing it. In this case, we happen to be in a situation where that is, I think again, there’s a lot of benefit all around. I think it’s been good. It’s helped Michael Floyd, and it’s definitely helped Brissett. It’s helped (wide receivers coach Chad O’Shea and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels), too.”
That the Patriots trust Brissett to teach another player the offense is a good sign for the rookie quarterback.
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
