Brian Hoyer's third stint with the New England Patriots is nearing its end. The team is expected to release the veteran quarterback by the start of the new league year on March 15, as first reported by Sirius XM's Adam Caplan.
Hoyer's looming departure now leaves starter Mac Jones and 2022 fourth-round pick Bailey Zappe as the only two quarterbacks remaining on the roster. With that in mind, New England will in all likelihood be looking to add at least one more signal-caller at some point this offseason.
The 37-year-old started one game for the Patriots last season following the high-ankle sprain Jones suffered against Baltimore the week prior. However, Hoyer left that Week 4 overtime loss to the Packers in Green Bay due to a concussion he suffered early in the first half. Before exiting, Hoyer was 5 of 6 passing for 37 yards. That injury forced Hoyer to remain on injured reserve for the remainder of the season.
Hoyer originally entered the NFL as a member of the Patriots, who signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Michigan State in 2009. He remained with the organization and helped back up Tom Brady until just before the start of the 2012 season when he was released during final roster cuts.
After bouncing around the league, which included a stint as the starter for the Cleveland Browns in 2013 where he went 7-6, Hoyer eventually returned to the Patriots for his second stint with the franchise in 2017. He stayed in Foxborough through the 2018 campaign and was a final roster cut again in 2019 after losing the backup job to Jarrett Stidham that summer. Hoyer returned in 2020 as the backup to Cam Newton for that season, and has been backing up Jones since then.
Last offseason, Hoyer signed a two-year, $4 million deal with the Patriots that included $3 million fully guaranteed. Of that $3 million, $1.4 million is guaranteed for 2023.
