Coming off his 13th NFL season, Patriots quarterback Brian Hoyer reportedly not yet willing to call it a career

Brian Hoyer has had a successful career considering that he entered the league as an undrafted free agent. He started a combined 40 games since 2009 and won a Super Bowl backing up the greatest quarterback of all time, Tom Brady.

At 36, Hoyer following Brady into retirement would not be a surprise. However, it appears the veteran quarterback is not willing to take that step just yet: according to USA Today’s Henry McKenna, Hoyer does not have any plans to retire this offseason.

That does not automatically mean he will have a spot on an NFL roster this season. Hoyer, after all, is headed towards unrestricted free agency.

That said, there is a chance the New England Patriots will bring him back on another low-cost contract. Re-signing Hoyer after he served as Mac Jones’ primary backup throughout the 2021 season would make sense, not just because of his previous role: the Patriots also lost both offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and assistant quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree to the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason.

Retaining Hoyer would give New England and its second-year passer some stability in its quarterback room. The veteran deciding to continue his career would be the first step towards that happening.

A rookie free agent signing by the Patriots in 2009, Hoyer spent time with eight different franchises throughout his career. He returned to New England twice, serving as a backup to Brady in 2017 and 2018 and to Cam Newton in 2020.

The team signed him to a one-year contract last spring, and he went on to serve as its QB2 behind rookie Mac Jones and ahead of third-year man Jarrett Stidham. Hoyer finished his 13th NFL season with five in-game appearances, going 9-for-11 as a passer for 227 yards and a touchdown.