If the Patriots are lucky, Brian Hoyer won’t play a single meaningful snap this season. But he’ll still play an important role, according to one former New England star.
Appearing on Chris Long’s “Green Light” podcast, former Patriots receiver Julian Edelman said Hoyer’s experience playing under Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco will make him a valuable resource for second-year quarterback Mac Jones as New England introduces Shanahan-style elements into its new-look offense.
“It’s definitely a blessing to have a guy like Brian Hoyer,” Edelman said, “who not only knows the New England Patriots system through and through — he’s been through the evolution of Josh McDaniels to Billy O’Brien, and then he went and played with Billy (in Houston). So he’s been in that system, but he’s also been in the Shanahan systems and he knows that West Coast slang.”
Edelman attended a Patriots joint practice last week in Las Vegas. While there, he said he “saw a lot of concepts that I didn’t really recognize” from New England’s Jones-led starting offense. Those concepts were seldom used during former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ tenure but would be familiar to Hoyer from his time with the 49ers.
Edelman believes that knowledge base, coupled with Hoyer’s nearly unrivaled grasp of the Patriots’ McDaniels-era system, will allow him to assist Jones as the latter looks to build on his promising rookie campaign. Having the 36-year-old Hoyer in the room also could benefit quarterbacks coach Joe Judge and expected play-caller Matt Patricia, neither of whom has extensive offensive coaching experience.
“It looks potentially like they could be trying to trickle in some of this new West Coast flair — outside zone, these little bootlegs, the double-down flats, the crossers,” the retired Patriots wideout told Long, echoing what reporters observed throughout training camp. “It’s definitely really good for Mac to have a guy like Brian, especially as a younger-type player. Brian’s been around Tom Brady through some of the highest of the highs and lowest of the lows, and that’s the job of the backup quarterback — to be that shoulder that a quarterback can lean on, whether he’s older, whether he’s younger.
“He needs to be that sidekick. If (Jones) needs confidence, he needs to build him with confidence. If he needs information, he needs to give him information. And that’s what Brian Hoyer can do for Mac Jones.”
Jones called Hoyer a “really amazing” mentor last season. The Patriots used a fourth-round draft pick on quarterback Bailey Zappe this spring, but Hoyer’s $3 million in contract guarantees make him a virtual lock to make the 53-man roster.
New England must finalize that roster by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
