What to expect from Brian Hoyer

The Las Vegas Raiders signed backup quarterback Brian Hoyer this week.

Let’s look into him a little more to see what his role with the team may be in 2023-24 (he signed a two-year deal).

Contract:

According to ESPN, Hoyer signed a two-year contract worth a total of $4.5 million.

Age, NFL experience:

Hoyer will turn 38 during the season and he is entering his 15th NFL season

Raiders’ connection:

Hoyer was with Raiders’ head coach Josh McDaniels with the New England Patriots in 2017-18 and 2020-21.

Recent playing history:

Hoyer, who has appeared in 76 career games with 40 starts, has a total of two starts in the past three NFL seasons. He has thrown a total of 41 passes in that time span. He started one games with McDaniels and his offensive coordinator and the Patriots lost that game, in 2020.

Why he’s in Las Vegas:

In addition, of course, to his familiarity to McDaniels’ system (that is so important this coach), Hoyer is basically a coach with a helmet. There is a great story told here about his role in the Patriots winning a Super Bowl.

Will he keep Raiders from drafting a quarterback?

Absolutely not. If the Raiders don’t draft a quarterback early, it will be because of the presence of start Jimmy Garoppolo, who signed a three-year contract with Las Vegas last month. Teams do not alter their draft plans based off of a 37-year-old career backup. There’s room for Jimmy G., Hoyer and a rookie.

Expected role:

Hoyer will likely start the season as Garoppolo’s primary backup and he should be part of the program all seasons, yes, even if a quarterback is drafted early. Perhaps that rookie would get a chance later in the season if Garoppolo is hurt, but expect Hoyer to be the No. 2 quarterback for most of the season.

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