It's Hoyer Time for the Las Vegas Raiders.
Veteran Brian Hoyer will get the start Sunday against the Chicago Bears, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Friday, per a source informed of the situation.
The Athletic reported the news first.
Heading toward Sunday's Raiders-Bears tilt in Chicago, we knew it would be the battle of backup quarterbacks, with Justin Fields (right thumb) and Jimmy Garoppolo (back) dealing with injuries. Undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent will get the start for the Bears. Whether it would be Hoyer or rookie Aidan O'Connell for Vegas was the question.
O'Connell started in Week 4 when Garoppolo missed the loss to the Los Angeles Chargers due to a concussion. The 2023 fifth-round pick completed 24 of 39 passes (61.5%) for 238 yards and a rushing touchdown. He also threw one interception, was sacked seven times, and fumbled three times, losing two in the 24-17 defeat.
There was some thought heading into the weekend that the Raiders preferred O'Connell to start games that Garoppolo was ruled out ahead of time, with Hoyer being more of a relief pitcher if in-game injuries struck.
Instead, it will be the 38-year-old veteran from the jump. In his 15-year career, Hoyer has made 40 starts and appeared in 78 contests, including five starts as a member of the Bears in 2016. Hoyer made one start in 2022 for the New England Patriots but exited after two drives due to a concussion.
In Week 6, Hoyer entered at halftime after Garoppolo exited with his back injury, helping the Raiders to a 21-17 victory over the Patriots. The veteran QB led two field-goal drives on his first two possessions, providing enough cushion for the win. Hoyer finished 6 of 10 passing for 102 yards without a turnover. He splashed a couple of big plays, including a 48-yard deep strike to Tre Tucker.
Sitting at 3-3, Vegas remains in the thick of the AFC playoff race, heading to Chicago to face the 1-5 Bears.
Hoyer has not won a game as a starter since Week 4, 2016 versus Detroit while with the Bears. He has lost his last 12 games as a starter, the longest active QB losing streak, per NFL Research.
