Colts release journeyman QB Brian Hoyer in wake of Philip Rivers signing

Brian Hoyer‘s stay with the Colts will stop at one year. After the Colts signed the veteran quarterback to a three-year, $12M deal, they are cutting him, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

The Colts guaranteed Hoyer $9M, so they will incur some dead money by moving on after one season. But their quarterback plans have changed significantly since then, with Philip Rivers bound for Indianapolis. The Colts will take a $2M dead-money hit by cutting Hoyer.

Hoyer has played on seven NFL teams and figures to be a candidate to either rejoin one of his previous six or sign with an eighth franchise soon. The 34-year-old passer generated interest after the Patriots cut him last August, and given the Pats’ rather notable change at quarterback this week, it is worth wondering if they would be interested in another reunion.

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Jacoby Brissett‘s knee injury resulted in Hoyer starting a game last season. For the year, he threw four touchdown passes and four interceptions, completing 53.8 percent of his passes. Hoyer has now played for the Patriots, Cardinals, Browns, Texans, Bears, 49ers and Colts. Should he suit up for the 2020 season, it will be the former UDFA’s 12th.

Rivers and Brissett are set to combine to count more than $46M toward the Colts’ 2020 cap. That wildly high-priced positional commitment will not allow for an expensive backup. The Colts created $3M in cap space by releasing Hoyer.