The Indianapolis Colts have decided to shake up their quarterback situation this offseason after a less than desirable 2019 campaign.
The team went out and signed veteran quarterback Philip Rivers to a one-year $25 million deal.
It appears that the Colts plan to hold onto quarterback Jacoby Brissett for the moment.
He’ll be the backup to Rivers, but head coach Frank Reich wants Brissett to still be involved in the offense.
Is this a good idea for the Colts and how would the team work Brissett into the gameplan?
Frank Reich just dropped a hint that Brissett will still have a role in certain situations, perhaps in RPOs. "Jacoby is tough to bring down." Hmmmm
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) March 31, 2020
What Kind of Role Would Brissett Play?
Reich has already told Brissett that he would be the backup quarterback to Rivers this season.
Brissett was obviously unhappy with the change, but he’s going to be a good teammate and help out whenever he can.
There have been some rumors that the Colts would like to use Brissett as a hybrid type of player.
Similar to how the New Orleans Saints use quarterback Taysom Hill.
The only difference is, Hill is a much better athlete than Brissett.
“We could really see the Colts be creative and use Jacoby Brissett like Taysom Hill” pic.twitter.com/neoNWTFtAG
— Nonessential Jay (@JayVeeThree) April 3, 2020
The Colts could have some issues trying to push Brissett into a hybrid role similar to Hill.
While it may work on occasion, the Colts shouldn’t try to lean on his type of performance by Brissett every single game.
Where Does Brissett Fit on the Colts?
It might be difficult for Brissett to form into a hybrid type of player, but that doesn’t mean he’s useless.
Brissett did have plenty of struggles during the 2019 season, but there were positive aspects as well.
Last season, Brissett was fairly reliable when it came to short-yardage situations.
Working on a bigger story about this, but here’s a look at type of play Colts fans might see next year w/ Brissett on the field up to 5-7 plays per game, according to Reich.
3rd & short, RPO, First down. Brissett was REALLY good in 3rd/4th & short situations last year. pic.twitter.com/adeWnkF3P6
— jimayello (@jimayello) April 3, 2020
Reich wants Brissett on the field for at least a handful of plays each game.
Using Brissett in short-yardage situations in order to give Rivers a break could be smart.
Switching up quarterbacks could add some type of confusion to the opposing defense and actually help the Colts if used effectively.
Brissett’s inability to move the ball downfield was part of the reason the Colts struggled on offense last season.
He would often times take the safer option rather than take the risk downfield in important situations.
Obviously, Brissett needs to make improvements as a quarterback, but he can still bring something to the table for this offense.
Will This Strategy Work for Indy?
It’s unlikely that the Colts will find a trade partner for Brissett before the season begins.
They clearly want him to be involved in the offense, but that could be difficult.
He’s not quite athletic enough to be used in a role similar to Hill.
Brissett does excel in short-yardage situations, but teams might catch onto that quickly when they see Brissett subbing into the game.
It’s unclear whether or not the Colts will even follow through with this plan when the season begins.
It is never a bad idea to have depth and the Colts have an above-average backup quarterback with Brissett.
If Rivers goes down or heavily struggles it’s nice to have a guy like Brissett that they can call on.
Brissett likely won’t make a huge impact in the offense, but at least he can sit and learn behind a 16-year veteran like Rivers.
NEXT: How Good Can The Indianapolis Colts Offense Be In 2020?