7:19pm: Hoyer’s one-year deal is worth $2MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
6:18pm: The Bears have agreed to sign quarterback Brian Hoyer, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). A report earlier this week indicated that Hoyer was likely to wait until after the draft to find a new home, and it appears he’s done just that, agreeing to terms with Chicago less than an hour after the conclusion of the draft. It’ll be a one-year pact for Hoyer, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
Hoyer didn’t want for suitors after he was released by the Texans earlier this month, as both the Broncos and Jets expressed interest in adding Hoyer to their respective quarterback rooms. Hoyer took visits with both clubs, but both Denver and New York drafted quarterbacks — Paxton Lynch and Christian Hackenberg, respectively — in the first two rounds of the draft. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (Twitter link), Hoyer and his camp were waiting for the Broncos’ and Jets’ QB situations to clear up before deciding where to sign. New York, in fact, was not in the mix for Hoyer as he neared a final decision, tweets Rich Cimini of ESPN.com.
The Bears signing of Hoyer doesn’t come completely out of left field, as a report earlier this month linked the 30-year-old signal-caller to Chicago. The Bears, in fact, were one of three clubs that had offers out to Hoyer, joining the Steelers and Cowboys as a team that had interest in adding Hoyer as a backup quarterback. Hoyer will head to Windy City to back up Jay Cutler, and he’ll reunite with Bears offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains, who was the Browns’ QB coach when Hoyer started 13 games in 2014.
Hoyer posted the best season of his career in 2015, completing 60% of his passes for more than 2,600 yards while throwing 19 touchdowns against just seven interceptions. After leading the Texans to a 5-4 record in his nine starts, Hoyer’s streak of good play ended in the first round of the playoffs, when he threw four interceptions as Houston was shut out by the Chiefs.
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