NEWSLETTER
As expected, free agent quarterback Brian Hoyer is departing the Bears, and he’s signing on to be something of a bridge quarterback (or backup) with another team:
Source: FA QB Brian Hoyer is headed to the #49ers. Reunion with Kyle Shanahan
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 8, 2017
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It’s a 2-year deal for #49ers and QB Brian Hoyer. Fair to say, this makes it unlikely they bring in Kirk Cousins in a trade with #Redskins
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 8, 2017
Hoyer previously worked with Shanahan in Cleveland, and he now figures to either steward the team as a young quarterback develops behind him, or serve as a backup if the 49ers decide to give the keys to someone else. As Rapoport notes, that someone else probably won’t be Kirk Cousins now, but I wouldn’t entirely rule it out. Not yet, anyway.
As for Hoyer, he leaves the Bears after just one year, which ended prematurely thanks to a broken left arm. Before that, he was looking pretty solid, and may well have played himself into a starting gig for the Bears in 2017 if not for the injury. As things stood, the Bears clearly had designs on going after Mike Glennon from the get-go this offseason, and Hoyer was left to look for another opportunity.
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It’s fair to say the Bears might be incrementally better in 2017 with Glennon under center than Hoyer, and there may also be a slightly greater chance that Glennon develops in a long-term option than Hoyer. But will those slight differences be enough to justify the large contract Glennon is going to get?
In any case, the Bears won’t be precluded from targeting a quarterback in the draft if they become enamored with one, so perhaps putting Glennon in place right now – just in case – is the better move of these two particular bridge/back-up paths. Best of luck to Hoyer in San Francisco.
