QB Brian Hoyer Making Free-Agent Visit To Jets

BOSTON (CBS) -- Brian Hoyer has served as a backup quarterback on the Patriots for three of the past four years. His next career stop may be a divisional rival.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Hoyer is making a free-agent visit to the Jets on Thursday.

As Rapoport noted, the Jets are poised to take a quarterback at the top of the first round, as they possess the second overall pick and just traded quarterback Sam Darnold (the No. 3 overall pick in 2018) to Carolina. A veteran backup like Hoyer -- someone who knows the league and can serve as a mentor and step in when needed, without the expectation of getting much playing time -- might be the ideal candidate to fill out the QB room for the Jets.

Hoyer, 35, entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2009 with the Patriots. He was with the team for three years, throwing just 27 passes. He then spent a year with the Cardinals before getting an opportunity to start 16 games over two seasons with the Browns. He started nine games for the Texans in 2015, five games for the Bears in 2016, and six games for the 49ers in 2017 before getting released and signing back with New England following the Jimmy Garoppolo trade.

Hoyer stayed with the Patriots in 2018 but didn't make the team in 2019, when the Patriots drafted Jarrett Stidham. But after one year in Indy, Hoyer returned to Foxboro last season. He started one game -- Week 4 vs. the Chiefs, when Cam Newton was out due to COVID-19 -- but was benched at halftime after taking a sack with no timeouts left to miss out on a field goal opportunity. He was inactive for the remaining 12 games of the season.

After compiling a 15-11 record as a starter from 2012-15, Hoyer has since gone 1-8 in his starts. In his career, he's completed 59.2 percent of his passes for 10,404 yards (6.9 Y/A), with 52 touchdowns and 35 interceptions.

In:
• NFL
• New York Jets
• New England Patriots