Jacoby Brissett facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jacoby Brissett

Brissett in 2021
No. 7 – Arizona Cardinals
Position:	Quarterback
Personal information
Born:	(1992-12-11) December 11, 1992 (age 32) West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:	235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High school:	William T. Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens, Florida)
College:	Florida (2011–2012) NC State (2013–2015)
NFL Draft:	2016 / Round: 3 / Pick: 91
Career history
New England Patriots (2016) Indianapolis Colts (2017) Miami Dolphins (2021) Cleveland Browns (2022) Washington Commanders (2023) New England Patriots (2024) Arizona Cardinals (2025–present)
Roster status:	Active
Career highlights and awards
Super Bowl champion (LI) NFL record Lowest career interception percentage: 1.4%
Career NFL statistics as of Week 18, 2024
Passing attempts: 1,761 Passing completions: 1,076 Completion percentage: 61.1% TD–INT: 53–24 Passing yards: 11,400 Passer rating: 84.3
Player stats at PFR

Jacoby JaJuan Brissett (born December 11, 1992) is a professional American football quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida Gators and the NC State Wolfpack.

The New England Patriots picked him in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft. After his first year, he was traded to the Indianapolis Colts, where he was the main starting quarterback in 2017 and 2019. Over the next few years, he played for the Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, Washington Commanders, and the Patriots again. In 2025, he joined the Cardinals.

Early life

Brissett was born in West Palm Beach, Florida, on December 11, 1992. He went to William T. Dwyer High School in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. He was a top-rated high school player, known for being good at both passing and running. In 2011, he decided to play college football for the University of Florida.

College career

Florida Gators (2011–2012)

In his first year at Florida in 2011, Brissett was a backup quarterback. He got to start two games when the main quarterback, John Brantley, was injured. He played in eight games that season.

The next year, he competed to be the starting quarterback. He started the first game of the season, but another player, Jeff Driskel, became the starter for the rest of the year. Brissett played in a total of five games that season.

NC State Wolfpack (2013–2015)

In January 2013, Brissett transferred to NC State. Because of transfer rules, he had to sit out the 2013 season.

In 2014, he became the starting quarterback for the NC State Wolfpack. He had a great season, passing for 2,606 yards and 23 touchdowns. In his final year in 2015, he passed for 2,662 yards and 20 touchdowns.

College statistics

This table shows how well Brissett played during his college years.

Professional career

New England Patriots (2016)

The New England Patriots chose Brissett in the 2016 NFL draft. He was the 91st player picked overall. He signed a four-year contract with the team, which he negotiated himself without an agent.

Brissett played his first NFL game on September 18, 2016, when the starting quarterback got hurt. The next week, he made his first start and led the Patriots to a 27–0 win over the Houston Texans. He even scored a 27-yard rushing touchdown. He became the first African-American quarterback to start a game for the Patriots.

Later in the season, he had to have surgery on his thumb. He was on the injured reserve list for a while but returned to the team in December. The Patriots went on to win Super Bowl LI that season against the Atlanta Falcons.

Indianapolis Colts (2017–2020)

Brissett (#7) tries to pass during a snowy game in December 2017.

On September 2, 2017, the Patriots traded Brissett to the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts needed another quarterback because their star player, Andrew Luck, was injured.

Starting Quarterback

Brissett soon became the starting quarterback for the Colts. In a game against the Cleveland Browns, he led the team to a 31–28 victory with two rushing touchdowns and one passing touchdown. Later that season, he threw for a career-high 314 yards in a win against the San Francisco 49ers. For the 2017 season, he threw for over 3,000 yards and scored 17 total touchdowns.

Return to Backup and 2019 Season

Brissett with the Indianapolis Colts in 2018

In 2018, Andrew Luck returned from his injury, so Brissett became the backup quarterback again. He played in only four games that year.

Before the 2019 season, Andrew Luck surprised everyone by retiring from football. This meant Brissett was once again the starting quarterback for the Colts. He signed a new two-year, $30 million contract with the team.

Brissett in a 2019 game against the Tennessee Titans.

He had a strong start to the 2019 season. In a game against the Houston Texans, he threw for 326 yards and four touchdowns, which earned him the AFC Offensive Player of the Week award. However, the team struggled in the second half of the season.

In 2020, the Colts signed veteran quarterback Philip Rivers, and Brissett returned to his backup role. He was often used in special situations, like short-yardage plays, and scored three rushing touchdowns that season.

Miami Dolphins (2021)

Brissett signed a one-year contract with the Miami Dolphins for the 2021 season. He was reunited with head coach Brian Flores, who had been one of his coaches in New England.

When the Dolphins' starting quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, was injured, Brissett stepped in. He started five games and played a key role in six games total. He finished the season with over 1,200 passing yards and six total touchdowns.

Cleveland Browns (2022)

Brissett at Cleveland Browns training camp in 2022.

In March 2022, Brissett signed a one-year deal with the Cleveland Browns. The team's main quarterback, Deshaun Watson, was suspended for 11 games. This made Brissett the starting quarterback for the first part of the season.

He started all 11 games during the suspension, leading the Browns to a 4–7 record. He had a good season, throwing for over 2,600 yards and scoring 14 touchdowns.

Washington Commanders (2023)

On March 16, 2023, Brissett signed a one-year contract with the Washington Commanders. He served as the backup to Sam Howell.

In a Week 15 game, Brissett came in to replace Howell and played very well, throwing for 124 yards and two touchdowns. The next week, he again came off the bench and led three straight touchdown drives. He was named the starter for Week 17 but could not play because of a hamstring injury.

Return to New England Patriots (2024)

Brissett returned to the New England Patriots on a one-year deal in March 2024. He was named the starting quarterback to begin the season, ahead of rookie Drake Maye.

After a win in the first game, the Patriots lost four straight games. Brissett was then benched, and Maye became the starter. Later in the season, Brissett came in to relieve an injured Maye and led the team to a 25-22 comeback victory over the New York Jets.

Arizona Cardinals (2025–present)

On March 14, 2025, Brissett signed a two-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals.

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Postseason