The New England Patriots are heading in a new direction after the parting of ways with head coach Bill Belichick. Jerod Mayo is the new man in charge, and it is widely assumed that he will be looking to bring in a young quarterback prospect to help him bring in a different generation of Patriots football.

Patriots Could Bring In Flacco Or Brissett As “Bridge” QB

Multiple people we spoke to told us to watch Jacoby Brissett return back to the #Patriots (Joe Flacco as a backup plan) to be the bridge starter for the rookie QB they draft at 3.

— uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) March 4, 2024

But while the direction of the franchise may indeed be different starting this off-season, they could bring in a familiar face in order to man the QB spot while a potential prospect develops. According to a report from uStadium, multiple sources have said that New England could have interest in bringing in Jacoby Brissett to fill the role of being a “bridge” quarterback.

It used to be the way things worked for rookie quarterbacks in the NFL. Aaron Rodgers sat for years behind Brett Favre, and essentially every first-year signal caller before him at least had to beat out an incumbent. Things have changed in that regard lately, as teams have tried to capitalize on the cheap rookie contracts of their quarterbacks by throwing them to the fire earlier and earlier.

But it seems as though the Patriots would be more than open to that idea, and Brissett could be the one that takes the reins while the 3rd overall pick learns the ropes. Brissett’s wasn’t the only name mentioned in the report. uStadium also mentioned that New England has a backup plan should they miss out on Brissett, and that would be Joe Flacco.

New England Will Be Active On The QB Market

The New England Patriots are TRENDING to keep the 3rd overall pick. pic.twitter.com/QkBOanQPu7

— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) February 29, 2024

The quarterback position will undoubtedly be the biggest point of emphasis for New England this off-season. Their offense was anemic in 2023, and the lack of firepower under center was one of the biggest culprits. The Patriots entered the season with Mac Jones as their named starter, but there were three separate occasions last year in which he was benched in favor of Bailey Zappe during a game.

He is still technically on the roster, but all signed point to the team moving on from Jones and admitting their mistake by drafting him with the 10th overall pick a few years back.

Brissett played for the Patriots during his rookie season in 2016, going 1-1 in two starts. He then spent four years in Indianapolis before signing one-year deals in each of the past three seasons with the Dolphins, Browns, and Commanders. He played in just 3 games for the Commanders in 2023 with 0 starts, and threw 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions on just 23 pass attempts.