Getty Veteran backup Jacoby Brissett could be an answer at the Raiders quarterback spot.
While we do not know what will happen with the Raiders quarterback position in 2024, we can say with some certainty that there will be at least one new potential starter on the roster, if not two. Incumbent starter Aidan O’Connell is sure to get a chance to win the job, but the Raiders figure to take a swing on a quarterback in the NFL draft and likely address the spot with a veteran in free agency as well. And at the analysis site The 33rd Team, they’re suggesting that the perfect fit would be veteran backup Jacoby Brissett.
In sorting out the “2024 QB Carousel,” film analyst Derrik Klassen projected Brissett as “most likely” landing with the Raiders this offseason.
“Jacoby Brissett is the bridge quarterback to have,” he wrote. “He has proven at multiple stops he can be a functional starter, be it back in 2019 with the Indianapolis Colts or with the Cleveland Browns in 2022. Brissett isn’t a star or anything, but he’s a smart, aggressive quarterback with a big arm. That can be enough to hold the fort down for a while.
“The Las Vegas Raiders happen to be in dire need of a bridge quarterback like that.”
Jacoby Brissett an Affordable Option
Of course, bringing Brissett in as a starter is a stretch. In eight NFL seasons, Brissett has started only 48 games. He has had two seasons, both in Indianapolis, in which he came in as the starter, and one (in Cleveland in 2022) in which he started the bulk of the games because of injuries to the player ahead of him.
That year in Cleveland, Brissett had 11 starts and threw for 2,608 yards, with 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. He posted a respectable 88.9 quarterback rating.
Brissett is likely to come cheap as quarterbacks go, though on the more expensive side for a backup. Pro Football Focus projects him getting a one-year, $6.5 million contract next season. Brissett made $8 million last year.
Bringing in a rookie, along with O’Connell and Brissett, would be the most cost-effective way for the team to handle its quarterback situation while the money the team will have to pay Jimmy Garoppolo sits on the books.
O’Connell will carry a cap hit of just about $1 million next season. The Raiders’ first-round pick, No. 13 overall, will have a cap hit of $3.2 million next year.
Raiders Quarterback Hole to Be Filled by a Rookie?
It would be a surprise if the Raiders did not use a first- or second-round pick on a quarterback in the draft. Having a player like Brissett on hand would allow the team to play the new guy sparingly, and give O’Connell some legitimate competition for the job.
Additionally, Brissett’s wealth of experience could only benefit new coach Antonio Pierce, who is taking over as head coach for the first time in his career after getting the job on an interim basis last season.
“The stash-and-develop route makes the most sense because of where the Raiders are at with their coaching staff. Las Vegas decided to promote interim coach Antonio Pierce to the full-time job this offseason,” Klassen wrote. “Regardless of how good or bad Pierce proves to be, it’s objectively true he is inexperienced as an NFL coach, especially the head job. Pierce could use a steady veteran quarterback presence like Brissett to get his tenure started off right.”