"I'm excited to see what Jacoby can do this year." Hjalte Froholdt. I am too, Fro.

photo: CBS Sports

By Walter Mitchell

Last year, when I first heard that Monti Ossenfort had signed Jacoby Brissett to a 2-year $12.5M contract with $8M guaranteed, I thought it was a poor decision. 

Living five minutes from Gillette Stadium and being surrounded by Patriots' fans, I had watched Jacoby's five starts in 2024 and came away feeling unimpressed. The crazy thing was, the Patriots had an excellent chance to be at least 3-2 in those games. Their defense was playing well and the team had 4th quarter leads at home versus the Seahawks and Dolphins, yet Jacoby's play down the stretch in those contests was erratic. Simply put, he couldn't hold the lead.

Look at his 2024 stats:

826 yards passing at 59.0 %, 2 TDs, 1 interception, 74.2 RTG at 165.2 yards per game (worst in NFL the first 5 games). 

At that point, I was convinced that Jacoby was not ever going to get paid as one of the league's top backup QBs ever again. 

Although, to Jacoby's credit, he was a very good mentor for Drake Maye, who, as a rookie, finished the season with the team's 3rd highest offensive PFF grade of 71.0.

Fast forward to 2025 and the juxtaposition of Jacoby Brissett's stats to his lackluster performance in 2024 is quite frankly, utterly phenomenal:

3,366 yards at 64.9%, 23 TDs, 8 interceptions, 94.1 RTG at 280.5 yards per game (most in NFL the last 12 games). 

Quite frankly, I couldn't believe I was watching the same player.

And it was HOW he was throwing frozen ropes downfield on time while taking an array of hard hits from the pocket. 

It was watching Jacoby pull off two major accomplishments we had not seen in years --- building a magical chemistry with Michael Wilson that exceeded 1,000 yards (first WR since DeAndre Hopkins in 2020) and turning Trey McBride into a Red Zone freak of nature. --- that turned me into a believer.

With regard to the Cardinals' having two 1,000-yard receivers in the same year, one has to go back 17 years to Kurt Warner's three 1,000 receivers in 2008 to match that feat.

Alas, the team only won one game with Jacoby as the starter. That's the tough part. To some, it didn't matter that the Cardinals were not favored in any of the 12 games, that the opponents had far superior defenses than the Cardinals' and that every opposing QB Jacoby faced has at one time or more was a Pro Bowler. 

Yes, Jacoby had a chance to win some close games early on in his string of starts yet couldn't close the deal. But to be fair, it was quite remarkable feat in of itself that Jacoby and the offense had the team in a position to win those games. It certainly didn't help that in his first start at Lucas Oil Field, down 31-27 (after the defense had just surrendered a 27-24 lead) with under a minute left, on a 4th and goal, Trey McBride was clearly held on what could have been the game winning TD. 

Getting the Cardinals' passing game on track was the most important accomplishment. 

Jacoby's NFL record in completions which came at home during a 41-22 loss to the 49ers was a testament to Jacoby's talent and relentless effort. 

How many NFL QBs can say they completed 47 of 57 passes for 452 yards, especially versus a Robert Saleh attack-style defense?

Only one. 

It's also a testament to Jacoby's leadership that despite the team's poor record and extremely daunting schedule, he galvanized the offense and had them playing hard for 60 minutes each and every week. The players were highly motivated to do so. They never ever quit.

Given these factors, I attained a new-found respect and confidence in Jacoby Brissett's ability to pass the football, especially given the way he would take a flurry of hard hits only to bounce up and back to keep on ticking. 

The thing is, I never expected to think of Jacoby Brissett at this point in his career to be a legitimate starting QB. 

But now, I wonder.

What fascinates me is the question of whether Jacoby Brissett can be Mike LaFleur's version of Matthew Stafford in the Cardinals' new multi-dimensional, state-of-the-art offense.

I think there's a good chance.

Now it's a matter of whether Jacoby can come through in the clutch and prove that he can help turn this team into a winner. 

Jacoby has earned this chance. He also deserves to be compensated fairly for being the team's starter this season. 

If Michael Bidwill and Monti Ossenfort do not elect to compensate Jacoby fairly and they decide to trade or release him, all of the chemistry building, continuity and teamwork that Jacoby created will be carelessly wasted.

Fro Pro

"He’s a veteran, he knows his shit, he stands in the pocket, he takes a hit, he plays for the boys. And he not just another backup. You know, i think that Jacoby has proven that he's a really good QB in this league and that he can get the job done, so I am excited to see what he can do this year.”

https://x.com/i/status/2041602933968793636

I never expected to believe in Jacoby the way Hjalte and his teammates do.

But this year, I agree with everything Fro says. Every word of it. 

I too am excited to see what Jacoby can do this year, especially in Mike LaFleur's offense.

I think this could be a stellar match. 

My hunch is that Mike LaFleur's best chances are with experienced QBs who can do what the coach prioritizes in commanding the pocket with supreme toughness and delivering the football smoothly, accurately and on time.