The New England Patriots have parted ways with backup quarterback Brian Hoyer. According to the team, New England has parted ways with the journeyman passer in favor of fourth-round rookie Jarrett Stidham. Needless to say, Tom Brady is still going to be the starter.
Brian Hoyer, New England Patriots Part Ways
Hoyer’s release occurred through no fault of his own. The longtime backup had a solid camp and an impressive preseason, completing 81% of his passes for 202 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. However, the team loved what they saw out of Jarrett Stidham. Stidham saw the majority of preseason action at quarterback, 67.8% of his passes for 731 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. Thanks to Stidham’s performance, Hoyer hadn’t seen the field since the second week of the preseason.
Hoyer initially entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2009. Signing with the Patriots, Hoyer won the backup job over 2008 third-round pick Kevin O’Connell. Hoyer spent three years in New England but didn’t start a single game. The former undrafted free agent spent the 2012 training camp with New England, but ultimately lost the backup job to Ryan Mallett.
Since leaving New England, Hoyer has gone on to play for the Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans, Chicago Bears, and San Francisco 49ers. Throughout the course of his career, Hoyer has completed 59.3% of his passes for 9,902 yards, 48 touchdowns, and 30 interceptions. His best season came in 2015 when he completed 60.7% of his passes for 1,445 yards, 19 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Interestingly enough, Hoyer went 10-6 as a starter with the Cleveland Browns, while the rest of the quarterbacks went a combined 1-15 during Hoyer’s tenure.
With Hoyer gone, Jarrett Stidham will now be the primary backup. The Patriots haven’t carried a rookie backup since Jimmy Garoppolo held the honors back in 2014. Jacoby Brissett was the last rookie quarterback to start for New England, and he only appeared in two games in 2016.
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