The Chicago Bears are likely turning the page on quarterback Jay Cutler as the new NFL league year begins Thursday, but that isn’t the only change that is going to be happening at the position.
According to reports, Bears back-up quarterback Brian Hoyer will be signing a contract with the San Francisco 49’ers on Thursday. The 49’ers don’t have a quarterback on their roster for next season, and so Hoyer is likely going to get an opportunity to start for new head coach Kyle Shanahan in the Bay Area.
Hoyer started five games for the Bears during the 2016 season, filling in for Cutler and doing a solid job while doing so. He threw for 1445 yards and six touchdowns in six total games for the Bears, but his season came to an abrupt end when he suffered a fractured arm against the Green Bay Packers.
Hoyer reportedly cleaned out his locker at Halas Hall on Tuesday, according to ESPN’s Jeff Dickerson and Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times. He also said goodbyes to staff members in the building, adding fuel to the rumors that his time in Chicago has come to an end.
If Hoyer leaves and if the Bears do end up cutting Cutler once he’s medically cleared from his late season shoulder injury, then the team will have only one quarterback on their roster, with Connor Shaw having signed a one-year deal with the team earlier this month.
