Free Agent Quarterback Hoyer To Visit Jets On Tuesday
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Is this another ploy to get Ryan Fitzpatrick to lower his asking price, or are the Jets seriously considering going in another direction?
Only they know.
Still without a legitimate starting quarterback for the 2016 season, the Jets plan to bring in free agent Brian Hoyer for a visit on Tuesday, according to WFAN's Boomer Esiason.
Hoyer is on the team's radar because Fitzpatrick has continued to hold out for far more money than the Jets are willing to give him, despite not really having a market in which to press his luck. It is believed that the veteran quarterback wants substantially more per season than the reported $7 million annually the Jets have offered.
Hoyer has played for four teams since entering the league in 2009. Last season with Houston, the 30-year-old signal-caller threw for 2,606 yards with 19 touchdowns and just seven interceptions in 11 games, leading the Texans to just their third playoff appearances in the franchise's 14-year history.
He was released by the Texans on Sunday, but figures to draw more interest than just the Jets on the open market.
The fact remains that Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan may soon have to make a decision. With the team and Fitzpatrick apparently no closer to a deal than they were before the 33-year-old opted for free agency, the Jets may want to establish a direction soon. That could mean signing a stopgap veteran like Hoyer or maneuvering into position to select a quarterback in the draft, which begins on April 28 in Chicago.
The Jets have hosted top prospects Jared Goff, Paxton Lynch and Christian Hackenberg in the past few weeks. They also brought in Robert Griffin III before he signed with Cleveland last month.
Ideally, Fitzpatrick remains the best option. He threw for for a career-high 3,905 yards and 31 touchdowns last season, the latter a Jets single-season record. He completed nearly 60 percent of his throws and tossed just 15 interceptions.
