Brissett Leaving Dolphins for Cleveland
Jacoby Brissett's time in Miami, for all intents and purposes, ended when the Dolphins signed Teddy Bridgewater to be Tua Tagovailoa's backup, and he's now got a new team.
And, depending how things break, he could wind up starting against those same Dolphins in 2022.
Brissett is expected to sign a one-year contract with the Cleveland Browns on Saturday, according to ESPN reporter Adam Schefter, and he'll serve as the backup for newly acquired quarterback Deshaun Watson.
But Watson is staring at the very strong possibility of an NFL suspension because of the 22 civil lawsuits filed against him alleging sexual misconduct, and based on precedent (such as Ben Roethlisberger, who was suspended for four games in 2010 despite not being arrested or charged with a crime), it's fair to predict he'll be forced to sit out at least four games, if not more.
It was in part because of that likely suspension that Watson's agent got the Browns to give the quarterback only a $1 million salary in 2022 (to minimize the money he'd lose during a suspension) as part of his new five-year, $230 million contract.
So if the NFL scheduled the Dolphins-Browns game at Hard Rock Stadium early in the 2022 season, it's very possible, if not likely, that Watson would be serving a suspension at that time and that would put Brissett in the starting lineup for Cleveland.
It would make it a second consecutive season the Dolphins have faced one of their former quarterbacks, after they went up against Ryan Tannehill and the Tennessee Titans in Week 17 of the 2021 season and left Nashville with a 34-3 loss.
Brissett's forgettable season in Miami
Brissett was a free agent again this offseason after joining the Dolphins on a one-year contract as a UFA last March.
His one season in Miami wasn't particularly impressive, though it also probably wasn't as atrocious as some Dolphins fans want to make it seem.
Brissett finished with a dismal 78.1 passer rating and was 2-3 in his five starts in place of an injured Tua Tagovailoa, though it should be pointed out that the three losses came against playoff participants Las Vegas and Tampa Bay, as well as Indianapolis, which also would have been in the playoffs if not for the Colts' choke job against Jacksonville in the season finale.
It also needs to be mentioned that those three losses occurred in the first five weeks of the season when the Dolphins' much-maligned offensive line was at its worst.
That said, Brissett wasn't impressive in his two victories, against Houston and Baltimore in Week 9 and 10, when it was the defense that led the way in games the Dolphins won 17-9 and 22-10. Brissett was replaced by Tagovailoa, recovering from a thumb injury, in the Thursday night victory against the Ravens after he was injured on a third-down play, though he appeared ready to return to the game after the Dolphins regained possession.
Brissett's only appearances in the final month of the regular season occurred in third-and-short situations when the Dolphins wanted to take advantage of his size.
From the end of the 2021 season, it appeared a long shot that Brissett would be back with the Dolphins and now he officially will be joining his fourth team after the Patriots, Colts and Dolphins.
