NFL Player News

Jeff Howe of The Athletic believes that Jarrett Stidham "has the inside track" over Hoyer in terms of taking over the Patriots' vacated starting QB job.

Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Patriots are slated to pay Hoyer $1.05 million, with the veteran signal-caller in line for a guaranteed $2 million, factoring in what he'll get from the Colts, who recently released him. Hoyer thus represents a cap-friendly addition to New England's QB room, and one whose previous experience with the team is an obvious advantage. It's still possible that further depth is added at the position, but at the very least Hoyer currently represents an experienced alternate starting option should Stidham struggle on the field or suffer any injuries down the road.

Walker is signing with the Panthers, Dianna Russini of ESPN reports.

Walker was well on his way to MVP honors in the XFL, posting a 15:4 TD:INT while leading the Houston Roughnecks to a 5-0 record. He previously spent time with the Colts' practice squad from 2017 to 2019, never quite making it to the active roster for a regular-season game. The 25-year-old now joins a crowded QB room in Carolina, where Teddy Bridgewater, Cam Newton (foot), Will Grier (foot) and Kyle Allen all have spots on the roster. Newton likely will be cut or traded soon enough, leaving Walker to duke it out with Grier and Allen for one or two roster spots behind Bridgewater. The XFL star may have been swayed by the chance to reunite with Panthers coach Matt Rhule, who was the head coach at Temple for each of Walker's four collegiate seasons.

The Patriots' signing of Brian Hoyer suggests Stidham has a good chance to earn the starting quarterback job, Jeff Howe of The Athletic reports.

It's a good sign for Stidham that the team signed Hoyer instead of a more accomplished veteran, though there's still time to add further competition to the quarterback room before Week 1. Ryan Hannable of WEEI reports that Hoyer's agent said the 34-year-old was told he'd have a chance to compete for the starting job, presumably squaring off against Stidham this summer. The 2019 fourth-round pick beat out Hoyer for the backup job last offseason, prompting the Patriots to release the veteran at the end of August.

Hoyer and New England agreed to terms on a one-year contract Sunday, Jim McBride of The Boston Globe reports.

Hoyer will head back to New England after spending two prior stints with the club in 2010-11 and 2017-18. In four appearances for the Colts last season, the veteran completed 35 of 65 passes for 372 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions. This is a great opportunity for the 34-year-old, as the Patriots only have the inexperienced Jarrett Stidham and Cody Kessler currently on the roster.

The Colts intend to keep Brissett on the roster in 2020, despite the team's recent signing of Philip Rivers, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Brissett was awarded a two-year, $30 million extension last September, an indication the Colts at least viewed him as a capable bridge option following the surprise retirement of Andrew Luck. The signal-caller got off to a strong start to the 2019 campaign but saw his production tail off down the stretch, finishing with an 18:6 TD:INT, 6.6 yards per attempt and a 60.9 percent completion rate across 15 games. The Colts' decision to hand Rivers a one-year, $25 million contract in free agency signals that he's the starter entering 2020, but the organization still apparently views Brissett as a valuable insurance option for the 38-year-old. Brissett will take home $7 million guaranteed if he remains on the roster through the end of Sunday, so if no trade is executed before then, the 27-year-old should stick with Indianapolis all season.

Hoyer was released by the Colts on Saturday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The Colts' decision to add Philip Rivers ultimately made Hoyer expendable. The release sure couldn't come at a better time for the long-time veteran, particularly considering the Patriots, who Hoyer spent five seasons with over two separate stints, only have the inexperienced Jarrett Stidham and the disappointing Cody Kessler currently on the roster.

With Tom Brady officially a member of the Buccaneers, Stidham and Cody Kessler are currently the only QBs the Patriots have under contract for 2020.

That said, it seems likely the team will add a quarterback or two via trade, free agency or the NFL Draft. Per ESPN's Mike Reiss, Stidham, who turns 24 in August, "is considered mature beyond his years" and "has shown a knack for making plays on the move," but it remains to be seen if the Patriots will look create a scenario in which the 2019 fourth-rounder has a chance to immediately claim the top job, or one in which veteran competition is brought in with an eye toward affording Stidham added time to develop into a reliable NFL starter.

The Seahawks, Cardinals and Broncos have all contacted the XFL's Houston Roughnecks to ask about Walker, Mark Berman of FOX 26 reports.

Walker and wide receiver Cam Phillips were the big stars of the XFL, leading Houston to a 5-0 record before the rest of the season was suspended. Walker led the league in passing yards (1,338) and touchdowns (15), completing 64.7 percent of his throws while tossing just four interceptions. He previously spent time with the Colts' practice squad in 2017, 2018 and 2019, never quite managing to secure the No. 2 quarterback job. It sounds like it won't be long before he gets another shot in the NFL.

McCoy is signing with the Giants, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

The Giants also have Alex Tanney under contract, but McCoy should be in good position to win the No. 2 quarterback job behind starter Daniel Jones. The 33-year-old has 28 NFL starts to his name, but just three of those have come in the past five years.

The Cardinals provided Murray with another proven wide receiver following the acquisition of DeAndre Hopkins from the Texans.

Despite having few reliable WR options beyond Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk and an uneven ground game until the midseason addition of Kenyan Drake in 2019, Murray completed 64 percent of his passes en route to 3,722 yards (15th in the NFL), 20 touchdowns (21st) and 12 interceptions (tied for 11th) as a rookie. Murray also ripped off 544 yards at 5.8 YPC -- both good for second among QBs behind last year's MVP Lamar Jackson -- and added four more scores on the ground. It's safe to consider that stat line as Murray's floor, and the 22-year-old's ceiling has been boosted with Hopkins, a perennial 1,000-yard receiver who's averaged 1.1 20-plus-yard catches per game in seven pro seasons, on board.