One man's disposal veteran quarterback is another man's backup quarterback.
Josh McDaniels has grabbed former Patriots backup quarterback Brian Hoyer off the scrap heap after Hoyer was released by New England, according to a release from the Raiders.
Hoyer appeared in one game last year, starting for an injured Mac Jones against the Green Bay Packers, completing 5-of-6 passes for 37 yards, before leaving that game with a concussion and never coming off of injured reserve.
Then, he was released in the off-season despite being under contract for 2023 and still having significant guarantees on his contract. Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston suggested on WEEI that unceremonious departure may have been a result of Hoyer questioning the handling of Mac Jones and the Patriots' offense last season.
“Brian Hoyer was not sold on what was going on last year, and I think he let that be known, that Mac was up against it on a weekly basis," Curran said last week. "And I think that’s a large portion of why Hoyer’s not here. The Patriots would tell you otherwise, but they’re paying him $1.4 million to not be here and not be part of the system. Even through training camp, release him in August -- you could use him for this offseason. Nope. Thanks. We’re all set with you. It’s interesting.”
Throw that in with the reports that Bill Belichick might have been shopping this off-season following him seeking outside help amid last year's catastrophe, and it certainly seems as if the Patriots are having a hard time dealing with the fallout from their coaching staff choices last year.
In the meantime, though, Hoyer has found a new home with a coach he trusts in McDaniels as a backup to Jimmy Garoppolo. One can imagine he'll feel a lot more at home there than he reportedly did last season.