CINCINNATI, OHIO – AUGUST 29: Jacoby Brissett #7 of the Indianapolis Colts warms up before the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on August 29, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Andrew Luck’s sudden retirement shook the Colts organization to their core. They clearly don’t want to experience another quarterback change anytime soon.
The Colts entered the preseason with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. Then Andrew Luck’s retirement threw the franchise’s entire future into chaos. GM Chris Ballard and the rest of the higher-ups in Indianapolis now are tasked with the challenge of building continuity in Indianapolis.
They obviously believe that securing some stability at the quarterback position is a key step in that process. That’s why they made the decision to hand Jacoby Brissett a two-year, $30 million deal on Monday. It doesn’t represent a contract extension since it replaces the last year of his rookie contract, but it does signal the franchise’s intention to give Brissett every opportunity possible to become their new quarterback of the future.
Some might regard the move as an overpay, but it’s actually a clever bit of business by Ballard and his front office. Brissett is going to be the team’s starter this season unless he suffers an injury that takes him off the field. Frank Reich and his coaching staff have a lot of confidence in his ability to lead the offense. Any on-field success for Brissett this season is going to raise his stock throughout the entire NFL.
That could have allowed Brissett to enter next offseason as one of the hottest quarterback commodities in the league. That would have forced the Colts to franchise Brissett to prevent him from becoming another team’s new starter. Essentially, this deal does that in advance. It also means that Indianapolis can exercise more control over Brissett via the tag if he plays well in 2020 and beyond.
The opportunity cost here for the Colts is basically zero. They had plenty of salary cap available this season to absorb Brissett’s raise with ease. Ballard clearly wants to build his team through the draft rather than splashing cash in free agency. In other words, Brissett’s 2020 raise isn’t going to impact the team’s offseason plans either.
Now that the Colts have secured their ability to control Brissett for the next few seasons, the true hard work will begin in Indianapolis. The pressure will be on the young quarterback to keep the franchise on the same trajectory it enjoyed before Luck’s decision to call it quits. If that happens the Colts are well-positioned to keep Brissett. Fortunately, they’re also well-positioned to let him go if things don’t work out. Credit Ballard for making the best of a bad situation at the quarterback position this preseason.