Pittsburgh Steelers really wanted Brian Hoyer

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Brian Hoyer wasn’t the Pittsburgh Steelers backup for very long, but it sounds like he made quite the impression on the organization during his brief time with the Steelers last season. The former New England Patriots quarterback drew plenty of praise from top ESPN quarterbacks analyst Ron Jaworski for his arm and decision-making, and I have a feeling the Steelers agree with the Philadelphia Eagles legend on Hoyer.

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According to Steelers beat writer Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Steelers “really wanted” to get Brian Hoyer and would have pursued him had the Cardinals not tendered him with a second-round draft choice. However, it sounds like Bruce Arians and the Cardinals are high on Hoyer as a backup, which comes as a surprise due to Arians’s scheme and the signing of Drew Stanton to presumably be the backup to a quarterback in the draft (most likely N.C. State’s Mike Glennon).

I have a feeling the Cardinals either genuinely like Hoyer or, more likely, feel like they can get some value for him in a trade. Hoyer was one of the most highly regarded backup QBs in New England, but that was before his terrible 2012 preseason (5-19 against the New York Giants) that led to his release (the Patriots replaced him with Mike Kafka).

If the Cardinals do not draft a quarterback, then Hoyer will most likely be the starter next season, unless if Stanton beats him out. The Steelers are expected to draft a quarterback in the later rounds as a developmental backup to pair with recently signed veteran backup Bruce Gradkowski.

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