The Detroit Lions Should Consider Bringing Brian Hoyer Home

In a bit of a surprise move, the New England Patriots released veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer. He would be a perfect fit for the Detroit Lions as a backup to Matt Stafford.

When the news scrolled across the ticker that Brian Hoyer was released by the New England Patriots I admit, I was a little shocked. Not necessarily by the fact that Hoyer wasn’t in the future plans of the Pats because of the emergence of rookie quarterback Jarrett Stidham. I felt the Patriots would trade Hoyer for a late-round draft pick (the Colts come to mind). I don’t feel the Detroit Lions would have traded another pick after moving one to Cleveland for David Blough.

Now that the New England Patriots cut Brian Hoyer he doesn’t require to go through the waiver process because he’s a vested veteran; he can sign wherever he’d like. The Detroit Lions are a perfect fit in a few ways.

Hoyer has a history with both general manager Bob Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia during there time in the New England organization. Hoyer is also a Michigan State alum; we use the term home understanding he was born in Ohio but played his college ball here. There is a possibility that the veteran backup quarterback would want to return to his roots in the State of Michigan to potentially finish his career.

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Another reason why Hoyer fits in Detroit is the fact that the Lions don’t currently have a reliable backup quarterback. I was in favor of keeping Josh Johnson over Tom Savage. Johnson is a veteran journeyman backup who should be an asset in the Lions film room. I don’t have anything against Tom Savage, but his inability to remain healthy was always at the forefront of my mind. Plus, Josh Johnson performed significantly better throughout the preseason.

He’s not just learning how to be a professional, he and Matthew Stafford should be able to spend time dissecting the film, discussing coverages and game plans. Brian Hoyer would be similar in this regard, but if an injury were to occur to Stafford, Hoyer would be a better option over a long period than Johnson. Johnson can elude the rush with his legs; he might be able to win a game down the stretch. But Hoyer could be a multi-week fix if the Detroit Lions need a placeholder if an injury occurs to Stafford.

Many people say, “if Stafford gets injured it’s season over anyway, no matter who the backup QB is.” That might be true if Matt, unfortunately, suffers an injury week one, but what if the Detroit Lions need a win to get into the playoffs in week 17? Although Johnson may be capable, I still think that Hoyer is the better option to winning a single game late in the year without offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell having to change the offensive scheme.

Things may change, but as it sits today, the Detroit Lions are initially carrying three quarterbacks on their 53-man roster. It’s something that I suspected that would happen if the team decided to keep Savage. Without Savage, I figured the team would just keep two.

Having recently traded for Blough it appears Bob Quinn is committed to keeping him rostered. As much as I like Josh Johnson, the Detroit Lions would be far better off by swapping Johnson with Brian Hoyer.

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Hoyer owns a 16-21 career record. He’s thrown for 9902 yards including 48 touchdowns and 30 interceptions throughout his ten-year career. Johnson, on the other hand, has a record of 1-7. He’s tossed for 1632 yards, 8 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in seven years of being on an active roster. Take note; last season was the first time in four years Johnson had been active on Sundays.

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