The New England Patriots have had a busy start to roster cutdown weekend. The team released a total of eight players while trading another, cornerback Justin Coleman, to the Seattle Seahawks. One move the Patriots did not make is letting go third-string quarterback Jacoby Brissett – and they are not expected to, if the Boston Globe's Ben Volin is to be believed:
I’m also hearing that QB Jacoby Brissett is safe. “Especially after last night’s performance.”
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) September 1, 2017
Brissett was uneven early on in training camp and during preseason as he had issues with decision making and accuracy. However, he looked much improved during Thursday's preseason finale against the New York Giants: The 24-year old played the entire game and finished with four passing and a rushing touchdown, while completing 71.8% of his passes for 341 yards.
While he played mostly against back-of-the-roster players, Brissett did was is expected to: He dominated the opponent at times and was the best player of New England's offense. Now it seems that the performance will have contributed to him making the Patriots' final roster.
The report is not that big of a surprise, even though the Patriots are settled at the quarterback position with Tom Brady as the starter and Jimmy Garoppolo as the backup. Brady's age and Garoppolo's contract status – he is entering the final year of his rookie deal –, after all, make Brissett a valuable and experienced fallback option both in the short and the long term.
EDIT: Turns out, he will not as the Patriots have just traded Brissett to the Indianapolis Colts for wide receiver Phillip Dorsett.