The New England Patriots drafted Jacoby Brissett back in 2016, and he appeared in three games as a rookie before the team traded him to the Indianapolis Colts a year later.
Now, Brissett is New England's starting quarterback for the 2024 season, and in his first game, he led the Patriots to a 16-10 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium on Sunday.
After the game, Brissett spoke about the emotions of the day.
"I think I cried three times before the game," Brissett said (transcribed by Pro Football Network's Dakota Randall). "I cried when I got to the stadium. Mayo came up to me before the game, he started laughing, he's like, 'Man, you're about to win us this game. you're about to ball out.' I'd never heard that from a coach. That meant a lot to me. And then I cried when we were going out on offense. My emotions were definitely high. It's definitely a moment that I just can't take for granted. These things don't come by often."
A few weeks ago, ESPN's Mike Reiss did a feature on Brissett where the quarterback said he considered retirement while playing for the Miami Dolphins.
It's clear he loves football, and it's clear that Mayo is connecting with his players. He believed that starting Brissett was the right move, and through one game, he looked correct.
A coaching staff having faith in a player can mean so much to the player and can make them play better. Just look at Tua Tagovailoa in Miami with Mike McDaniel.
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