Browns Have Expressed Interest In Re-Signing QB Brian Hoyer

Update:

Brian Hoyer’s agent, Joe Linta, reiterated that the Browns have reached out to his client about re-signing with them.

“We never got to the numbers part,” Linta said Saturday, via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. “They called and said they were interested in bringing him back.”

According to Linta, the only issue for Hoyer would be if the Browns were set on bringing him back as a backup only.

“I think the only thing that would make him not [want to] come back is if they said Manziel or whoever we take in the draft or whoever we sign in free agency is going to be the starter and you will only be the backup,” Linta said. “I think that would probably drive him away a little bit. If [coach Mike] Pettine said, ‘Hey, it’s going to be an open competition again between you and Johnny,’ great, let’s go. … [Hoyer] wants to play. The kid wants to have an opportunity to compete and play.”

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Joe Linta, the agent for impending free agent QB Brian Hoyer, tells Jeremy Fowler of ESPN that the Browns have expressed interest in re-signing his client.

“We’ve left the door open both ways,” said Linta at the Senior Bowl.

Fowler mentions that contract talks between Hoyer’s reps and the Browns could pick up in the coming weeks.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported back in December that the Browns are expected to move on Hoyer next year if they didn’t make the playoffs. Of course, Hoyer was benched in favor of rookie Johnny Manziel and their season came to a disappointing end.

Since then, offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan has departed and reportedly taken a position with the Falcons while Cleveland has replaced him with Raiders QBs coach John DeFilippo.

The free agent market is so bad this year that Hoyer could actually do better than some expect, but it’s still doubtful to see anyone extend him a sizable contract.

Hoyer, 29, played out his two-year, $1.965 million contract that includes $250,000 guaranteed and made a base salary of $1 million for the 2014 season.

Over the course of 14 games, Hoyer has thrown for 3,334 yards while completing 55.4 percent of his passes to go along with 12 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 35 quarterback out of 39 players.