Brian Hoyer has just about seen it all when it comes to NFL quarterback rooms.
The 38-year-old has played for eight different teams over a 15-year NFL career. He’s been a fly-on-the-wall rookie learning from a legend (Tom Brady) in New England. He’s been the starter for a team that drafted a highly-touted rookie (Johnny Manziel) to take his place in Cleveland. He’s been the veteran backup serving as a resource for an eager young QB (Mac Jones) in New England. He’s even played with the Patriots’ current starter, Jacoby Brissett, with the Indianapolis Colts in 2019.
So, Hoyer is pretty well-qualified to assess the dynamics of the current QB group in Foxboro, which includes the veteran Brissett, incumbent backup Bailey Zappe, No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye and sixth-round flier Joe Milton.
Hoyer joined Patriots Insiders Tom E. Curran and Phil Perry on a Patriots Talk Podcast to break down all angles of New England’s QB situation, from the importance of Jacoby Brissett’s role to the lessons Maye can learn from Brady to how the young QB should approach his first preseason in the NFL.
🔊 Patriots Talk: Brian Hoyer reveals the Tom Brady lessons Drake Maye should learn | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
The podcast is worth a full listen, but here’s one great anecdote Hoyer shared from playing with Brady early in his NFL career about the importance of Maye asking the right questions as a rookie.
“We had another quarterback in the room, and he’d come in every day and he’d be asking questions to Tom,” Hoyer said. “They were questions that were pretty simple, that you kind of already knew the answer to. And at a certain point, Tom goes, ‘You’ve got three questions a day. Use them wisely.’
“So the next day (the quarterback) comes in and goes, ‘What’s up, Tom?’ And (Brady) goes, ‘That’s number one.'”
Hoyer believes Brissett will happily aid Maye in his development — Brissett admitted the rookie is already texting him about plays — so long as Maye is intentional about what he wants to learn.
“If you’re actually asking questions to learn, ask away all the time,” Hoyer added. “But if you’re asking a question that you already know the answer to but you’re kind of trying to just confirm it, like, that’s college and high school stuff.”
Subscribe to the Patriots Talk Podcast to check out the full episode, or watch on YouTube below.