Jacoby Brissett embracing mentor role in second stint with Patriots: ‘I’m a teammate first’

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Jacoby Brissett had no expectations the first time he walked into the New England Patriots’ training facility in 2016 as a wide-eyed, 23-year-old rookie quarterback.

A third-round pick, he was joining a team that had a four-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback in Tom Brady at the time and an entrenched backup in Jimmy Garoppolo.

Brissett didn’t know if he’d even make the roster.

“Third-string quarterback my rookie year. Took no reps at training camp or (organized team activities) with the first team. And Week 2 I’m in the game versus the Dolphins,” Brissett recalled on Thursday. “You never know when your opportunity is going to come. You’ve just got to ready.”A chance to impact a team can come at any time.

And that’s exactly how the now-31-year-old is approaching his latest stop in New England.

With the one-year, $8 million free-agent deal he signed with the Patriots in March, Brissett joins a quarterback room in which he’s largely viewed as a transition player while first-round pick and former North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye develops.