QB Brian Hoyer, Patriots Agree to 1-Year Contract After Tom Brady's Exit

The New England Patriots came to terms on contracts with quarterback Brian Hoyer, according to Jim McBride of the Boston Globe.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Hoyer's contract will be for one-year, $1.05 million.

"If someone offered him $5M or $6M to be a backup, Brian still would've wanted to be back in New England," Hoyer's agent Joe Linta told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. "They gave him a chance to compete for the starting job, and that's all he asked for."

McBride additionally noted former Jets linebacker Brandon Copeland also inked a deal with New England.

This marks Hoyer's third stint with the Patriots since they signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2009, while Copeland is joining the Pats after two seasons each with the Detroit Lions and New York Jets.

The Patriots could lean on Hoyer as a bridge starter after Tom Brady's decision to leave New England, where the future Hall of Famer played for 20 years and won an all-time record six Super Bowl titles. Brady signed with Tampa Bay as a free agent.

The other quarterbacks on the roster are Jarrett Stidham and Cody Kessler.

The Indianapolis Colts released Hoyer on March 21, corresponding with the team officially announcing the signing of Philip Rivers. The 34-year-old had signed with Indy in September 2019.

Hoyer replaced an injured Jacoby Brissett in the second quarter of Week 9's matchup with Pittsburgh before starting Week 10 against Miami. He threw for 372 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions on 35-of-65 passing across those two outings—both losses for the Colts.

Once the Colts cut him, speculation swirled that a reunion with the Patriots was imminent:

The Michigan State product originally served as Brady's backup from 2009 through 2011. Hoyer had a brief stint with the Arizona Cardinals in 2012 before moving on to the Cleveland Browns (2013-14), Houston Texans (2015) and Chicago Bears (2016). 

The San Francisco 49ers released Hoyer, who went back to the Patriots in November 2017. He was a member of the Patriots' Super Bowl LIII-winning squad before getting released in August 2019 and landing in Indy afterward.

Overall, Hoyer has played in 69 games and made 38 starts. He is 16-22 as a starter with 10,274 yards, 52 touchdowns and 34 interceptions on 59.1 percent completion.

Copeland has 60 games of NFL experience with 14 starts. He has registered seven sacks during his NFL career, including a career-high five in 2018.

Last season, Copeland started three of the 12 games he appeared in for the Jets and finished with a career-high 42 tackles to go along with 1.5 sacks and five tackles for loss.

Copeland addresses a major area of need for the Patriots after they lost linebackers Kyle Van Noy and Jamie Collins to the Miami Dolphins and Lions, respectively, in free agency.