Brian Hoyer
Axel Edward Brian Hoyer is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League for 15 seasons. He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans. During his NFL career from 2009 to 2023, he started for eight different teams, the second-most in league history. Hoyer's longest stint was with the New England Patriots for eight non-consecutive seasons, primarily as a backup, and was a member of the team that won Super Bowl LIII. His most successful season was with the Houston Texans in 2015 when he helped lead them to a division title.
Early life
Born in Lakewood, Ohio, and raised in North Olmsted, Hoyer attended Saint Ignatius High School in Cleveland, Ohio, where he played both football and baseball for the Wildcats. On the varsity baseball team, Hoyer played pitcher, infielder, and outfielder. As a sophomore in 2002, he compiled an 8–1 record with a 1.99 ERA. Hoyer was the winning pitcher in the 2002 Ohio Division I State Championship game allowing two earned runs in six innings pitched.In football, Hoyer compiled a 16–7 record as a two-year starter for head coach Chuck Kyle. In 2002, he completed 131-of-263 passes for 2,130 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. The following year, Hoyer completed 258-of-412 passes for 5,570 yards, 45 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions while leading his team to a 9–3 record. Hoyer was named USA Today Prep Player of the Week for his performance against Shaker Heights High School. Hoyer was an Associated Press Division I all-state selection as a senior. He participated in the 2004 Ohio All-Star Classic and the July 24 Ohio-Pennsylvania Big 33 All-Star Game.
College career
Hoyer was redshirted by Michigan State University in 2004, where he earned Scout Team Offensive Player of the Week honors twice.In 2005, Hoyer saw action in five games in which he completed 15-of-23 passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns. In a game against Illinois, he combined with Drew Stanton to throw seven touchdown passes, which tied the Big Ten single-game record.
In 2006, Hoyer played in eight games and completed 82-of-144 passes for 863 yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions.
In 2007, Hoyer was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection. He completed 223-of-376 throws for 2,725 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in 13 games. Hoyer had six 200-yard passing games.
As a senior in 2008, Hoyer was listed among 26 preseason candidates for the 2008 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, which is presented annually to the nation's top senior quarterback. That year, he played in 13 games and completed 180-of-353 passes for 2,404 yards, nine touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
College statistics
Professional career
New England Patriots (first stint)
2009 season
Despite being invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, Hoyer was not selected in the 2009 NFL draft. He signed immediately after the draft with the New England Patriots.Hoyer debuted in the Patriots' preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals, completing 11-of-19 passes for 112 yards. In the preseason finale against the New York Giants, he played at quarterback the entire game, leading the team on a comeback after trailing 21–0 in the first quarter to a 38–27 victory, completing 18-of-25 passes for 242 yards, a touchdown, and no interceptions.Hoyer finished the preseason 29–of–44 for 354 yards, including one touchdown, with a 98.1 passer rating. Of the four quarterbacks behind Tom Brady during training camp, the Patriots released Matt Gutierrez, Kevin O'Connell, and Andrew Walter, leaving him as Brady's only backup when the Patriots made their final roster cuts on September 5.
Hoyer made his NFL debut on October 18, in the second half of a game against the Tennessee Titans. On his first drive, Hoyer was 5-for-5 for 35 yards, concluding it with a one-yard rushing touchdown, which set a franchise record for points scored in the Patriots' 59–0 victory. In the regular season finale against the Houston Texans, he appeared in the game and completed eight of 12 passes for 71 yards.
2010 season
Hoyer entered the 2010 preseason as Brady's only backup. During the preseason, Hoyer completed 32-of-57 passes for 471 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception.Hoyer saw his first action of the regular season late in a 34–14 loss to the Cleveland Browns, throwing his first NFL interception. In Week 17, against the Miami Dolphins, he threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Tate for his first NFL touchdown pass.
2011 season
Although the Patriots drafted quarterback Ryan Mallett in the draft over the summer, Hoyer retained his role as Brady's primary backup.Hoyer saw only limited action during the 2011 season; his only pass attempt was the Patriots' final attempt of the 2011 regular season. The pass, which head coach Bill Belichick asked offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien to call, was a 22-yard pass to tight end Rob Gronkowski to give Gronkowski the NFL record for receiving yards in a season by a tight end. In the playoffs, the Patriots defeated the Denver Broncos in the Divisional Round and the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game to reach Super Bowl XLVI. The Patriots went on to lose 21–17 to the Giants.
On August 31, 2012, Hoyer was released by the Patriots during final cuts. He practiced with Saint Ignatius players while hoping for another team to sign him.
Pittsburgh Steelers
On November 20, 2012, Hoyer signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers after injuries to starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and backup Byron Leftwich within a week of each other. He served as the backup to Charlie Batch in Weeks 12 and 13 against the Browns and Ravens respectively. Hoyer was released on December 8. As of 2023, the Steelers are his only team that Hoyer did not start for.Arizona Cardinals
Hoyer was claimed off waivers by the Arizona Cardinals on December 10, 2012. He replaced Ryan Lindley in Week 16 against the Chicago Bears and completed 11-of-19 passes for 105 yards and an interception. On December 26, Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt announced that Hoyer would start in the season finale against the San Francisco 49ers, making him the fourth starting quarterback for the Cardinals that season. Hoyer finished the 27–13 loss completing 19-of-34 passes for 225 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.On May 12, 2013, Hoyer was released.
Cleveland Browns
2013 season
On May 16, 2013, Hoyer was signed by the Browns to a two-year deal.On September 18, in relief of then-starter Brandon Weeden, who was out with a thumb injury, the Browns skipped over second string Jason Campbell and named Hoyer the starting quarterback for the Week 3 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. He threw for 321 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions in the team's first win of the season. It was announced later in the week that Hoyer would be the starter for Week 4 against division rival Bengals as Weeden remained out with a thumb injury. Hoyer led the Browns to another win, completing 25-of-38 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns, along with throwing no interceptions in the 17–6 victory. The next day, Hoyer was named the starter for a third straight game, Thursday Night Football vs the Buffalo Bills. Despite being named starter for three straight games, Hoyer was not declared the official starter for the rest of the 2013 season by head coach Rob Chudzinski, who referred to the situation as "a week-to-week thing." He later added that, if Hoyer continued to exceed expectations, he would maintain his starting position. However, Hoyer sustained an ACL tear in the Thursday Night game against the Bills, prematurely ending his season.
2014 season
With the Browns' releases of Weeden and Campbell to free agency, Hoyer stated that he was confident that he would be the starting quarterback for the Browns, no matter who they would draft in 2014. The Browns drafted Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Johnny Manziel with the 22nd overall pick, who was known as one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2014 NFL draft. Hoyer did not take this as too much of a shock, stating "I don't want people to think I'm sitting at home pouting." Head Coach Mike Pettine stated that Manziel would not simply be handed the job, leaving the starter position open to competition.On August 20, 2014, Hoyer was tabbed the starting quarterback for the Browns to begin the 2014 season. Through the first six weeks the Browns were 3–2, with the two losses coming on last-second scores, and Hoyer possessing a 7–1 TD:INT ratio. During Week 5 against the Titans, Hoyer threw for 292 yards, 3 touchdowns, and an interception. Despite trailing 28–3, Hoyer led the Browns to 26 unanswered points, securing the win with a final score of 29–28. It was the largest comeback victory in franchise history, and the largest for a road team in NFL history. Hoyer led the Browns to a 6–3 start, the franchise's best nine-game start since the team started 7–2 in the 1994 season. However, Hoyer struggled in the following four games, throwing only one touchdown while being intercepted eight times. As a result, the Browns lost three of those four games to fall to 7–6 on the season, jeopardizing their playoff hopes. During a Week 14 home loss to the Indianapolis Colts, Hoyer was 14/31 for 140 yards and two interceptions. He was repeatedly booed by fans throughout the game and was heavily criticized for his performance following the loss. Through 13 games on the season, Hoyer had 11 touchdowns to 12 interceptions. His struggles in this 1–3 stretch led many fans, pundits, and analysts to call for the quarterback to be benched in favor of rookie Johnny Manziel. On December 9, 2014, the Browns announced that Johnny Manziel would start in Week 15 against the Bengals in place of Hoyer. However, Manziel was injured in the second quarter of the Browns' matchup against the Carolina Panthers and was relieved by Hoyer. Hoyer threw a touchdown and an interception while going 7/13 with 153 passing yards. In the fourth quarter, he threw an 81-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jordan Cameron to put the Browns up 13–10. However, the Panthers regained the lead on the next drive and went on to win the game 17–13. After the season, Hoyer's contract expired and he became a free agent.