Brian Hoyer To Start At QB In Cleveland

The Cleveland Browns will start Brian Hoyer at quarterback Sunday against Minnesota.

With regular starting quarterback Brandon Weeden out with a thumb sprain, the Browns have chosen to go with third stringer Hoyer. Sorry, Jason Campbell.

For those who don’t know, Jason Campbell is the Browns second string quarterback. He was signed by Cleveland in the offseason to challenge Brandon Weeden for the starting job. It appears Cleveland didn’t like what they saw.

Here’s another theory: Maybe the Browns just want to see what the 27-year-old Hoyer can do. Weeden, in his second NFL season, is 30-years-old. Campbell is 31-years-old. The Browns clearly aren’t sold on Weeden as a franchise quarterback, and Campbell is strictly journeyman at this point in his career.

Hoyer could be the answer. Brown new GM Michael Lombardi has always admired the quarterback, and first year head coach Rob Chudzinksi didn’t draft Weeden.

Brian Hoyer has started one game is his career, the Arizona Cardinals 2012 season finale against the San Francisco 49ers. He played admirably, but not well enough for Arizona to keep him.

Maybe it was fate. Hoyer is a Cleveland native and jumped at the chance to sign with his hometown team in the offseason. Now he’ll get a chance to prove himself on the team he grew up rooting for.

After starting the season 0-2, the Browns are hoping Hoyer can spark their offense. Chudzinski had this to say about choosing Hoyer over Campbell:

“I feel like based on our current situation — where we’re at offensively as well as getting into the game planning for Minnesota — that Brian’s strengths are the best fit for this week and that he gives us our best chance to win. The things that he does well fit what we need. For me, it’s about who gives us the best chance to win.”

We’ll have to tune in Sunday to see if Chudzinski is right about Hoyer. The Browns can definitely upset the Vikings if Hoyer plays well.

Are you surprised Brian Hoyer got the starting nod over Jason Campbell?

[image via Wikimedia Commons]