Brian Hoyer Agrees to 2-Year Raiders Contract to Be Jimmy Garoppolo's Backup

Josh McDaniels' offseason spending spree on players he coached for the New England Patriots continued Tuesday with Brian Hoyer agreeing to a deal with the Las Vegas Raiders.

JL Sports, Hoyer's agency, told Doug Kyed of A to Z Sports that the veteran quarterback signed a two-year contract with the Raiders to be Jimmy Garoppolo's backup.

It's not a surprise to see McDaniels bring in players who are familiar with his system, but the extent to which the Raiders are becoming the 2017 Patriots doesn't bode well for their chances next season.

Hoyer is the fourth former Patriots player who has signed with Las Vegas this offseason. He joins a group that includes Garoppolo, Jakobi Meyers and Phillip Dorsett.

If you go back to last offseason, Chandler Jones and Brandon Bolden are also on the list.

Garoppolo and Meyers are the only players from that group who will be counted on as key contributors next season, but having stability at the No. 2 quarterback position is important for McDaniels.

Since becoming a full-time starter in 2018, the only time Garoppolo has played every game in a full season was 2019. He missed 10 games in 2020 with an ankle injury and the final five games last season with a broken foot.

Hoyer provides some insurance because the only other quarterback on the Raiders' roster before this deal was 2022 undrafted free-agent signing Chase Garbers.

A 14-year NFL veteran, Hoyer has started 40 games in his career. The 37-year-old spent the past three seasons with the Patriots. It was his third stint with the team.

He began his career playing for the Patriots from 2009 to '11. McDaniels coached Hoyer for a total of four seasons over two stints with the Patriots from 2017 to '18 and 2020 to '21 (Hoyer spent 2019 with the Colts). His only start during that span was in Week 4 of the 2020 campaign when he threw for 130 yards in a 26-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Raiders are hoping for improvements in 2023 after finishing a disappointing 6-11 last season in McDaniels' first year at the helm.