The Houston Texans and quarterback Brian Hoyer are reportedly set to split up this offseason, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Note from @NFLTotalAccess: #Texans and QB Brian Hoyer appear headed for a divorce and both sides sound OK with a fresh start. He's available
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 29, 2016
It’s an interesting turn of events, though not surprising.
It’s interesting because Texans general manager Rick Smith made it crystal clear that Hoyer was a valued member of the team and that “you need a couple of quarterbacks in this league” when Houston signed Brock Osweiler to a lucrative four-year deal.
It’s not surprising, though, considering is set to count for almost $4.9 million against the cap. And while it’s not tremendously rich for a backup these days, Hoyer isn’t exactly a shining beacon of hope, should Osweiler go down with injuries.
Hoyer wasn’t actually that bad last year for the Texans, completing 60.7 percent of his passes for 2,606 yards with 19 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. That said, he single-handedly crippled the team’s chances of winning in the playoffs when he turned the ball over five times in the Wild Card round.
It’s not yet known if the Texans will release him or seek a trade.
There are teams that will likely be interested in his services, despite this. Quarterbacks are in high demand these days, and there just aren’t many quality guys in the league right now.
For Houston, this development also signals a likely move to draft a quarterback to develop under Osweiler, and there are some intriguing options outside the first couple of rounds.