More information has been made available regarding the New England Patriots’ somewhat surprising decision to cut backup quarterback Brian Hoyer last month.
As NESN’s Dakota Randall explained on Monday, Patriots insider Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports Boston hinted during a recent appearance on the WEEI “Jones & Mego with Arcand” program that Hoyer may have been somewhat involved in starting quarterback Mac Jones seeking outside help to fix New England’s struggling offense last season. Jones reportedly ended up in the doghouse of head coach Bill Belichick over contacting outside counsel, while Hoyer missed time last fall due to a concussion that may not have been quite as serious as outsiders assumed.
“Hoyer’s not here anymore,” Curran said during the segment. “And Brian Hoyer was guaranteed ($1.4M) of his $2M contract. Patriots released him, and made it clear that ‘We’re moving on because of your head.’ He had been cleared (to play) for a long time. He anticipated coming back. Brian Hoyer was not sold on what was going on last year. And … I think he let that be known that Mac was up against it on a weekly basis. And I think that’s a large portion of why Hoyer’s not here.”
“The Patriots would tell you otherwise, but they’re paying him $1.4M to not play here and not be part of the system,” Curran continued. “Even through training camp and release him in August, when you could use him for this offseason. ‘Nope, thanks, we’re all set with you.’ I think it’s interesting.”
It is widely thought that the Patriots won’t pursue Baltimore Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson regardless of what Belichick thinks of the one-time NFL Most Valuable Player, in part because ownership wants to see if new offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien can help Jones return to the level that made him a Pro Bowl selection as a rookie for the 2021 season.
During the annual league meetings, Belichick refused to commit to Jones as his starter over 2022 rookie Bailey Zappe.
“Bill [Belichick] caught wind of it, and he’s still p—– about it,” Curran said about Jones allegedly calling outsiders about potential remedies for the team’s offense.
While winning often cures all that ails a club, it sounds like the relationship between Belichick and Jones isn’t where it was roughly one year ago regardless of Hoyer’s status with the organization.
