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Brian Hoyer

Patriots Promote Brian Hoyer, Nick Folk

September 11th, 2021 at 3:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two familiar faces are back on the Patriots’ active roster. The team elevated Brian Hoyer and Nick Folk from its practice squad Saturday, Sports Talk 790’s Aaron Wilson tweets. The Pats also placed wide receiver Malcolm Perry on IR.

This has been a busy day for the kicker position, with Folk’s promotion following AFC South callups — Joey Slye (Texans) and Michael Badgley (Titans). But Folk will give the Pats two active-roster kickers. Quinn Nordin remains on New England’s roster. Barring an IR move, the rookie would need to pass through waivers in order to be shuttled down to the practice squad.

Bill Belichick hinted this week the Pats could carry both Folk and Nordin on their active roster. Folk could again be moved down to New England’s practice squad next week, given the 2020 CBA’s additional flexibility regarding practice squad promotions. Teams can now carry 55 players on their active rosters on game days; 48 can dress.

The Pats used Folk as their kicker throughout last season and in seven games in 2019. Arriving after Stephen Gostkowski‘s injury ended his 14-year tenure as New England’s kicker, Folk delivered a strong 2020 season by making 92.9% of his field goal attempts. This will be Folk’s 14th NFL season. Because he and Hoyer are elevations and not promotions, neither’s salary is guaranteed for the full season.

Following the Patriots’ release of Cam Newton, Hoyer was set to be Mac Jones‘ backup. The team cut Hoyer recently but re-signed him on a practice squad deal. Hoyer’s promotion has been a formality for a bit. The veteran passer is now on his third stint with the Patriots and will be tasked with mentoring a promising rookie. Jones and Hoyer are the only QBs on the Pats’ active roster. Jarrett Stidham is on the team’s reserve/PUP list, which will keep him off the roster for at least six games.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC East

September 1st, 2021 at 6:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Bills, Dolphins, Jets and Patriots moves are noted below.

Here are Wednesday’s AFC East transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day.

Buffalo Bills

Signed:

Placed on IR: 

Signed to practice squad:

Miami Dolphins

Claimed:

Waived: 

Signed to practice squad:

New England Patriots

Claimed:

Waived: 

Signed to practice squad:

New York Jets

Claimed:

Re-signed:

Waived:

Placed on IR:

Patriots To Re-Sign Brian Hoyer

September 1st, 2021 at 12:05pm CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots are set to re-sign Brian Hoyer, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB (Twitter link). Hoyer will be back on the roster before Week 1, providing support to new starter Mac Jones.

The Patriots stunned many by releasing Cam Newton on Tuesday and raised eyebrows further by dropping Hoyer, especially since Jarrett Stidham is on the reserve/PUP list. With Stidham out for the next six weeks (or longer), they had to sign another signal caller to sit behind Jones.

Not counting this latest brief hiatus, Hoyer has had three stints with the Patriots throughout his 12-year career. He earned a Super Bowl ring as Tom Brady‘s backup in 2018 and, following a 2019 stint with the Colts, he re-joined the Patriots when Brady’s left for Tampa. Hoyer started one game for New England, completing 15 of his 24 pass attempts for 130 yards, no touchdowns, one interception, and a fumble. The veteran didn’t end up seeing the field again following that Week 4 loss to the Chiefs.

Patriots Reduce Roster To 53

August 31st, 2021 at 7:21pm CST by Ben Levine

The Patriots made headlines earlier today when they cut quarterback Cam Newton, a move that made rookie Mac Jones the starter. The team has since reduced their roster to 53 players, and we’ve detailed each of the moves (including those previously reported) below:

Released

Waived

Placed on Reserve/PUP list

Placed on Reserve/NFI list

Placed on Injured Reserve

The Patriots veterans are most notable, but the organization also waived a pair of 2021 draft picks. Sherman was a sixth-round pick out of Colorado who appeared in 30 games during his collegiate career. Nixon was a seventh-round pick; the wideout split his collegiate career between Ole Miss and Central Florida, earning All-AAC honors in 2019.

Patriots Release QB Brian Hoyer

August 31st, 2021 at 4:59pm CST by Ben Levine

The Patriots started the day with three healthy quarterbacks on their roster, and now they’re down to one. Albert Breer of TheMMQB reports (via Twitter) that the team has released veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer.

However, it doesn’t sound like Hoyer will sit in free agency all that long. Breer speculates that the veteran QB could land back in New England once the team opens a roster spot by placing another player (perhaps wideout N’Keal Harry) on short-term IR.

The Patriots surprised many earlier today when they released veteran Cam Newton, making rookie first-round pick Mac Jones the starter. Hoyer seemed liked a logical fit as a backup considering his experience with the offense. Fast forward to now, both Newton and Hoyer are off the roster while Jarrett Stidham is on PUP, leaving the rook as the lone QB on the active roster.

Hoyer has had three stints with the Patriots throughout his 12-year career, earning a Super Bowl ring as Tom Brady‘s backup in 2018. Following a one-year stint with the Colts in 2019, Hoyer re-joined the Patriots last offseason following Brady’s defection to Tampa Bay. Hoyer ended up starting a single game for New England, completing 15 of his 24 pass attempts for 130 yards, no touchdowns, one interception, and a fumble. The veteran didn’t end up seeing the field again following that Week 4 loss to the Chiefs.

Jets Tried To Sign Brian Hoyer

May 23rd, 2021 at 7:36pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Brian Hoyer signed a deal to return to the Patriots this past week, but they apparently had real competition from another AFC East team.

The Jets “made attempts to sign Hoyer,” a source told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link). We heard all the way back in early April that the Jets had met with Hoyer, but we didn’t know until now they made a serious push.

Fowler writes that New York wanted Hoyer as a backup to rookie starter Zach Wilson, but that the veteran journeyman lives in the New England area. That combined with “his familiarity with Patriots helped put signing with N.E. over the top.”
It’s an interesting choice from Hoyer, since the Patriots’ quarterbacks room is more crowded. They’ve got Cam Newton, Mac Jones, and Jarrett Stidham already on the roster. Newton and Jones are presumably guaranteed roster spots, so Hoyer and Stidham could be battling it out for the final gig.
Right now the Jets only have youngsters James Morgan and Mike White behind Wilson, so they’ll presumably be adding a veteran backup/mentor at some point.

Patriots Re-Sign QB Brian Hoyer

May 17th, 2021 at 8:17pm CST by Ben Levine

The Patriots are re-signing a familiar face. New England is signing veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer to a one-year deal, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Jim McBride of the Boston Globe was first with the news (on Twitter).

Hoyer has had three stints with the Patriots throughout his 12-year career, earning a Super Bowl ring as Tom Brady‘s backup in 2018. Following a one-year stint with the Colts in 2019, Hoyer re-joined the Patriots last offseason following Brady’s defection to Tampa Bay. Hoyer ended up starting a single game for New England, completing 15 of his 24 pass attempts for 130 yards, no touchdowns, one interception, and a fumble. The veteran didn’t end up seeing the field again following that Week 4 loss to the Chiefs.

This offseason, Hoyer was briefly mentioned as a potential option for the Jets as a backup, but he’ll instead be heading back to New England. The team’s depth chart looks a bit different in 2021. The team used the 15th-overall pick on Mac Jones, and the rookie is expected to compete with 2020 starter Cam Newton for the starting gig. As Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets, Newton could serve as Jones’ competition while Hoyer could serve an important role as Jones’ mentor.

This signing is probably bad news for Jarrett Stidham. Following Brady’s decision to join Tampa Bay last offseason, there were some whispers that the 2019 fourth-round pick could end up inheriting the starting job. Instead, Stidham started a whopping zero games, although he did complete 50-percent of his passes for 256 yards, two scores, and three interceptions in limited snaps.

Jets Notes: Mosley, Draft Plans, Hoyer

April 25th, 2021 at 11:49am CST by Rory Parks

The Jets reportedly received trade calls on linebacker C.J. Mosley this offseason, and Rich Cimini of ESPN.com says Mosley remains a trade candidate. As Randy Lange of the team’s official website writes, new head coach Robert Saleh recently offered high praise for Mosley, calling him a tremendous leader and player. Saleh also said Mosley is good enough to thrive in any system, including the 4-3 scheme that Saleh plans to implement (Mosley has not played in a 4-3 since he turned pro).

But New York did sign Jarrad Davis in free agency, and the team has been speculatively linked to high-end linebackers in the draft, like Notre Dame’s Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. If GM Joe Douglas does select an LB with a Day 1 or Day 2 choice, that could make a Mosley trade more likely (though obviously the return on such a trade would be minimal given Mosley’s contract and the fact that he has played all of two games in the last two years).

Now for more notes on the Jets:

  • Although Gang Green is going to select QB Zach Wilson with the No. 2 overall pick, there is plenty of uncertainty as to what the club will do with the No. 23 overall selection. Cimini believes the team will ultimately go with a player to help Wilson, whether that’s an offensive lineman or a wide receiver. If that’s how Douglas is leaning, he might need to trade up to get the prospect he wants, and Connor Hughes of The Athletic tweets that Douglas has already done the “groundwork” on a potential move up the board.
  • Cornerback also profiles as a major need for the Jets, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them use the No. 23 pick or another early selection on a CB. According to Cimini, the club is intrigued by Syracuse corner Ifeatu Melifonwu, who looks like a second- or third-round talent. If the team doesn’t get a slot corner at some point in the draft, Hughes says the team could look to re-sign Brian Poole, whose 2020 season was cut short by injury but who has played well in his two seasons in the Meadowlands.
  • If the Jets don’t go with an offensive lineman with their second first-round choice, Hughes expects them to grab one with the No. 34 pick, and he also thinks they could pick up another blocker with one of their two third-round selections.
  • New York brought in veteran QB Brian Hoyer for a visit earlier this month, and he looks like an ideal backup/mentor for Wilson. Hughes reports that the team is likely to commence contract talks with the 35-year-old signal-caller after the draft.

Jets To Meet With QB Brian Hoyer

April 8th, 2021 at 8:51am CST by Sam Robinson

In the process of assembling a mostly new quarterback depth chart, the Jets will meet with an available veteran. Brian Hoyer will visit the Jets on Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

The 35-year-old passer spent the 2020 season with the Patriots, his third stint with the team, and has a history with new Jets coach Robert Saleh and OC Mike LaFleur. Hoyer was the first 49ers starter under Kyle Shanahan, opening the 2017 season in that role. Saleh and LaFleur were in their initial months as 49ers staffers that season as well.

The 49ers signed Hoyer to a two-year, $12MM deal in 2017 and used him as their starter in six games. The then-rebuilding team went 0-6 in those contests and eventually released Hoyer in-season, having acquired Jimmy Garoppolo from the Patriots. Hoyer finished that season replacing Garoppolo as Tom Brady‘s backup, a role he held earlier in his career and one he reprised in 2018.

Hoyer’s most extensive work came with the Browns in 2014, when McDaniel was on staff as a coaching intern, and the Texans in 2015. He went 7-6 as the Cleveland starter in ’14, before being benched for Johnny Manziel, and trekked to Houston and Chicago in the ensuing seasons. After Hoyer landed a three-year, $12MM Colts deal in 2019 — one the Colts shed in 2020 — he joined Cam Newton and Jarrett Stidham as part of the Pats’ first post-Brady QB mix. Overall, Hoyer has played in 70 games and started 39 in his 12-season career.

Last season, the Jets featured Joe Flacco as Sam Darnold‘s backup. Both are now with other teams, with Flacco joining the Eagles ahead of this week’s Darnold trade, leaving Mike White and 2020 fourth-round pick James Morgan as the only QBs on Gang Green’s roster. The Jets are expected to add Zach Wilson at No. 2 overall, but they will almost certainly bring in a veteran mentor-type passer as well. Hoyer would qualify as such.

Latest On Patriots’ QB Outlook

February 28th, 2021 at 10:03am CST by Rory Parks

We heard at the beginning of January that the Patriots and quarterback Cam Newton were unlikely to reunite in 2021, but a report from earlier this week suggested that the the door is not closed on a Newton return to Foxborough next season. And multiple sources tell Ben Volin of the Boston Globe that they would not be surprised to see the Pats re-sign the 2015 league MVP.

After all, HC Bill Belichick reportedly loved coaching Newton, and Volin hears that even after the 2020 campaign, Belichick has raved about the effort that Newton put forth last season. He is concerned about Newton’s arm strength — which is understandable given the 31-year-old’s disappointing passing performance during his first season with New England — but he appears open to continuing the relationship just the same. Newton, meanwhile, has been similarly candid about how much he enjoyed playing for the Pats, so if the two sides can agree to another inexpensive contract, a re-up could be in the cards.

Of course, the club has also had conversations about every quarterback in the league that could be available via trade, and the expectation remains that the Pats will select a QB in the early rounds of this year’s draft (perhaps with their No. 15 overall selection). So if Newton comes back, it obviously won’t be as anything more than a bridge option to a younger passer, and Mike Reiss of ESPN.com suggests that the team could even re-sign Newton and pair him with another veteran.

If New England goes that route, one obvious option would be to re-sign longtime Patriot Brian Hoyer, as Volin notes. Volin also believes that Mitchell Trubisky could be on the Pats’ radar, and at this point in their respective careers, Trubisky certainly appears to have a higher ceiling than Newton. Some have connected the dots between New England and former Belichick draftee Jacoby Brissett, but Volin sees a Brissett signing as unlikely since he did not “click” with Belichick and OC Josh McDaniels before he was dealt to the Colts in 2017. Assuming the Patriots do end up adding two QBs this offseason, Jarrett Stidham‘s roster status will be very much in doubt.

One collegiate signal-caller that has been routinely mocked to the Patriots is Alabama QB Mac Jones. As Reiss notes in the piece linked above, former New England OC Charlie Weis was effusive in his praise of Jones, and Weis sees him as a perfect fit in the Pats’ offense. Though he is not as athletic as some of the other passers in this year’s class, Jones is more than capable of moving around in the pocket and can make accurate throws to every part of the field.

If the Pats really want Jones, though, they may have to trade up from the No. 15 pick. His stock is rising, and ESPN draftniks Mel Kiper, Jr. and Todd McShay both believe he will be off the board by the time New England is on the clock.

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