As the Indianapolis Colts prepare for free agency for 2020, there are several crucial decisions that general manager Chris Ballard will be faced with.
One surprise candidate that could be cut is QB Jacoby Brissett.
Since the retirement of Andrew Luck, it’s been no secret that the Colts are searching for a long-term answer at quarterback.
It appeared the Colts possibly had that long term answer with Brissett early in the 2019 NFL season.
In Brissett’s first seven starts, he threw for 1,590 yards, 14 touchdowns, and three interceptions.
Then, a knee injury in week 9 against the Steelers would derail the rest of his season.
In his final 7 games, he only had 1,293 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions.
With his inconsistent play, the Colts fell out of playoff contention.
In the final year of his contract, things could change very quickly with Brissett.
NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal listed Jacoby Brissett as a potential surprise cut candidate this offseason.
He says:
Jacoby Brissett, QB, Indianapolis Colts: The Colts’ tone around Brissett was markedly different in January than it was in August. After having complete confidence in him before the season, GM Chris Ballard said “the jury’s still out” on Brissett after a streaky 2019 campaign. If the Colts snap up Philip Rivers in free agency, I’m not convinced that Brissett’s contract is that tradable in a crowded market.
Changing course would be a costly move for Ballard. Brissett has a guaranteed $7 million bonus due, and releasing him would cost $12.5 million in dead money, although the Colts have enough space to cut their losses if they go Full Rivers.
The NFL is a very unpredictable business and can change by the hour.
If the Colts cut Brissett before June 1st, they would save 8.875 million while carrying 12.5 million in dead cap space.
Cap Savings if Cut: QBs
Cam Newton, CAR, $19.1M
Andy Dalton, CIN, $17.7M
Derek Carr, LVR, $16.5M
Joe Flacco, DEN, $10M
Jacoby Brissett, IND, $8.8M
Alex Smith, WAS, -$10.8M
Nick Foles, JAX, -$11.75M
Jared Goff, LAR, -$15Mhttps://t.co/x3vb9TQsLR— Spotrac (@spotrac) February 1, 2020
While cutting Brissett could always happen, it is still highly unlikely that is what they will do.
Even choosing to keep Brissett’s $21.375 million cap number in 2020, the Colts are still under the salary cap at 43 million according to overthecap.com.
The Colts could draft a quarterback in the upcoming draft, but it would be a surprise if Brissett isn’t the starter in the 2020 season.
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