Brian Hoyer is making his way back to the New England Patriots after agreeing to a one-year contract with the team, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Projected Patriots Quarterback Depth ChartThe move comes two days after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced the signing of Tom Brady.
Here's a look at the Patriots' quarterback situation in a post-Brady era.
The addition of Hoyer likely solidifies Jarrett Stidham as the Week 1 starter. Rapoport reported Wednesday the Patriots "really like" the 2019 fourth-round pick and probably weren't going to replace Brady with another marquee name:
Stidham only threw four passes as a rookie, one of which went for a pick-six in New England's Week 3 win over the New York Jets.
The 23-year-old began his career at Baylor before transferring to Auburn in 2016. In two years with the Tigers, he threw for 5,952 yards, 36 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Now, he's set to replace one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.
Losing Brady will inevitably be a significant adjustment for the franchise, so allowing Stidham to have at least one season at the helm would make sense. New England could then approach the 2021 offseason with a better idea as to its long-term outlook at quarterback.
Not only is Hoyer an experienced backup, but his familiarity with the Patriots offense will also make him an invaluable guide for Stidham. This will be his third stint in New England.
Jameis Winston is the biggest quarterback still on the free-agent market, but the Patriots only have $5.3 million in available salary-cap space, per Spotrac. If Bill Belichick doesn't fully trust Stidham, then the 2020 draft will be the team's logical route to seek an alternative.
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