Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard is not yet sold on Jacoby Brissett as the quarterback of the present and future.
Ballard said at his press conference Thursday that the “jury is still out” on Brissett, who replaced Andrew Luck as the starting quarterback after the former No. 1 pick’s abrupt retirement from football in August.
“Right now, yes, Jacoby is our starter,” Ballard said, adding the Colts are still evaluating the position. “… That’s why we did the short-term deal with Jacoby, to have the security of a player we liked and to find out if he can be the guy.”
The Colts have the 13th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and could be interested in a veteran challenger to Brissett in free agency.
Among potential available options are Cam Newton (Panthers) and Marcus Mariota (Titans) via trade, or longtime starters Philip Rivers (Chargers) and Eli Manning (Giants), who are expected to be available in free agency.
However, Brissett is still the likely starting quarterback for the Colts for Week 1 of the 2020 season, Ballard said Thursday. After a 5-2 start, the Colts fell out of the playoff race but maintained long mathematical odds to be in the wildcard mix until Week 17.
“Jacoby did some good things, and I don’t just want to look at the second half of the season and forget those things,” Ballard said.
Brissett turned 27 in December and the 2016 third-round pick of the New England Patriots signed a two-year, $30 million deal after Luck’s departure.
He started 15 games in 2019, completing 60.9 percent of his passes for 2,942 yards with 18 touchdowns and six interceptions.