I’m not a big Jacoby Brissett fan, but I see the wisdom in Washington signing him. He gives them a veteran to pair with Sam Howell, and he was far better than anyone expected last year in Cleveland.

With the Browns, Brissett was more effective than Deshaun Watson. He averaged 53 more passing yards, with a higher completion percentage, more yards per attempt and a better passer rating. The offense averaged a touchdown more per game when he was on the field.

So if the plan in Washington is to roll with Howell, it makes sense to have Brissett as the backup. He can be a mentor and sounding board, and the offense won’t fall apart if they need to put him in for some games.

If nothing else, Brissett will take care of the ball. He’s started 48 games as a pro, and he’s thrown only 22 interceptions in those games. In the 32-team era, only two other quarterbacks with at least 40 starts have averaged less than a half an interception per game – Aaron Rodgers and Tyrod Taylor.

Not throwing interceptions, to clarify, isn’t necessarily a selling point, particularly in fantasy leagues. When a quarterback like Brissett or Alex Smith isn’t throwing interceptions, it sometimes means they’re too hesitant to take chances, settling for check-down throws. With a gunner quarterback (think Ryan Fitzpatrick) there’s more willingness to try to gun the ball into tight winds, resulting in more interceptions but also more big plays.

FEWEST INTERCEPTIONS PER GAME (2002-)
PlayerStYds/GTDIntInt/G
Tyrod Taylor531955723.43
Jacoby Brissett482084822.46
Aaron Rodgers223263474104.47
Colin Kaepernick582077230.52
Mark Brunell521805728.54
Russell Wilson17323530898.57
Patrick Mahomes8030319249.61
Lamar Jackson6119910038.62
Tom Brady319271631200.63
Alex Smith167209195105.63
Daniel Jones532196034.64
Jeff Garcia741998448.65
Teddy Bridgewater652207243.66
Robert Griffin422114128.67
Dak Prescott9725716665.67
Deshaun Watson5926311040.68
David Garrard762068752.68
Donovan McNabb12324218085.69
Derek Carr14224821799.70
Jared Goff10025915570.70

—Ian Allan