NFL Power Rankings: Jacoby Brissett Boosts Washington Commanders?

Where did the Washington Commanders land in Sports Illustrated's power rankings?

Jacoby Brissett raised more questions than answers for more teams than the Washington Commanders with his performance in their 28-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.

Brissett completed 8 of 10 passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns in his lone two drives. While the Commanders remained at No. 29 in Sports Illustrated's power rankings for the second straight week, they wondered how Brissett could have made an impact for a quarterback-needy team in playoff contention. 

Jacoby Brissett throwing a pass against the Baltimore Ravens in a preseason game.  / Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

"I suppose we learned that Jacoby Brissett can still play, and it’s days like this that we wonder how the hell this happens, where a good starting-caliber QB sits behind Sam Howell all season, and there are other teams completely willing to throw their seasons away by not going after him," SI writes. "If Jacoby Brissett was on the Jets, Vikings or Browns we’d be talking about a deep playoff contender." 

While it's fair to wonder how Brissett would have fared as a starter for a playoff-caliber team that lost their starting quarterback like the Minnesota Vikings (7-7) or New York Jets (5-9), it's also worth wondering if Washington was willing to trade him. The Commanders committed to a rebuild when they traded defensive ends Montez Sweat and Chase Young, and with second-year quarterback Sam Howell in tow, it was clear Brissett wasn't in the team's plans barring an injury or subpar play from Howell. 

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Given the quarterback-needy teams in the playoff hunt and Washington looking toward the future, it's possible they could have gotten a 3rd or 4th-round pick. And for a team that had set its sights on 2024 and beyond, a mid-round pick could've been more valuable than holding onto a veteran quarterback who's a free agent after this season. 

Washington will look to snap its five-game losing streak on Sunday when they head to MetLife Stadium for the second time this season to face the New York Jets at 1 p.m. ET.