‘The Las Vegas Raiders will start veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer in place of Jimmy Garoppolo on Sunday as he battles a back injury, per Dianna Russini of ESPN. Hoyer beat out rookie QB Aidan O'Connell for the opportunity of a revenge game against his former team, the Chicago Bears.
Hoyer started for the Bears back in 2016, when he was awarded the starting role after an injury sidelined Jay Cutler. He became the first ever Bears QB to throw for over 300 yards in each of his first four starts with the franchise. That feat also left him tied with Cutler, Billy Wade and Mitchell Trubisky for the most 300+ passing yard games among Chicago signal-callers in a single season.
Hoyer last started in an NFL game for the New England Patriots in Week 4 of the 2022 campaign. Unfortunately, he suffered a concussion on his first drive and was placed on injured reserve for the remainder of the season. The Patriots released him in March of 2023, and he was shortly thereafter signed by the Raiders.
Brian Hoyer came in to relieve an injured Garoppolo in Week 6 against the Patriots. He threw for 106 yards and helped the Raiders eke out a win over his former team.
Hoyer has been a reliable career backup quarterback. Las Vegas, who is .500 on the season, should hope that he can deliver the same consistent play he has in the past to beat the Bears and put the Raiders in strong playoff standing as the midway point of the season approaches. Hoyer would also have the added satisfaction of beating out two former teams in two consecutive weeks, which is sure to serve as some motivation for him to perform well.
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