Will Patriots Pursue Jacoby Brissett? NFL Writer Weighs In

There’s been plenty of talk about the idea of Jimmy Garoppolo returning to New England given the uncertainty over his future in San Francisco.

But what are the chances the Patriots make a run at another old friend?

Jacoby Brissett will become a free agent when the new NFL year opens in March. Brissett, a 2016 third-round pick by the Patriots, impressed at times over the course of his four-year tenure with the Indianapolis Colts, even starting 15 games on two occasions.

NFL writer Albert Breer could see New England pursuing Brissett this offseason, but he doesn’t imagine the Patriots will view the 28-year-old as the true answer to their quarterback problem.

“I do think Brissett makes sense — just not as the only guy,” Breer wrote in his latest mailbag for Sports Illustrated. “If they go after Brissett and Brissett alone on the veteran market, my guess is that would be a pretty strong tell on the Patriots’ plan to be aggressive on draft day. And I wouldn’t be totally turned off by the idea of that.

“The trouble is that they’re picking 15th. If you’re picking that low, it’s tough to put all your eggs in that one basket, not knowing what’ll happen in front of you.”

The fact the Patriots traded Brissett for a depth wide receiver, Phillip Dorsett, suggests the organization wasn’t very high on the signal-caller’s potential. Brissett since has proved he’s capable of holding his own in the NFL, but bringing him on feels like a move New England would make after a few other options were exhausted. By that point, there’s a good chance Brissett will have found a better opportunity elsewhere.

Perhaps the Patriots will kick the tires on Brissett, but a reunion doesn’t seem likely.