Brian Hoyer is back with the New England Patriots.
The veteran quarterback re-signed with New England on Monday, according to an announcement from his agency, JL Sports. The Boston Globe’s Jim McBride was the first to report Hoyer’s new contract, which reportedly is a one-year deal.
The 35-year-old Hoyer joins Cam Newton, Jarrett Stidham and first-round draft pick Mac Jones on the Patriots’ quarterback depth chart.
Returning last offseason for his third stint with New England, Hoyer began the 2020 season as New England’s No. 2 QB but was demoted to third string after struggling in a Week 4 start in Kansas City while Newton was sidelined with COVID-19. He was a healthy scratch for the Patriots’ final 12 games, with Stidham serving as Newton’s primary backup.
The Patriots almost certainly will not carry four quarterbacks into the regular season, but Hoyer could serve as an on-field mentor for Jones during spring practice and training camp. New England selected Jones with the 15th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but head coach Bill Belichick stressed that Newton will remain the starter, at least in the short term.
Hoyer also could challenge Stidham for a roster spot. Though Stidham received a positive review from team owner Robert Kraft earlier this spring, the 2019 fourth-round pick has yet to start a game in his pro career and is not a lock to make the team this summer.
New England kicked off Phase 2 of its offseason program Monday and is scheduled to begin on-field organized team activities next week. Mandatory minicamp runs from June 14 to 16, with training camp starting in late July.
