The story in Cleveland before this NFL season started was largely about Johnny Manziel and his inevitably starting for the Browns. No one was really thinking much about Brian Hoyer, a capable veteran who went 3-0 for Cleveland before being injured last year. But with 3 wins already this season, early rumblings of a playoff berth and an upset win over Pittsburgh on Sunday, the question now is, will Hoyer leave his hometown? Hoyer has been playing so well so far this season, one wonders if he'll leverage his success and quit once he becomes a free agent.
Hoyer surprised a lot of folks this season, who were largely waiting for him to be replaced by Johnny Manziel at the first sign of trouble. Coach Mike Pettine has stuck with Hoyer so far, though, and at 3-3 the Browns look better than they have in a long time.
That leads to a conundrum. A gifted quarterback, in his prime, doesn't necessarily need a backup like Johnny Football making voodoo dolls of him. A young, ambitious quarterback like Manziel wants to shine.
So is Hoyer going to put Cleveland in a 'him or me' situation? For now, Brian is being as vague as possible (via NBC Sports):
"I don't think I need to say any more than I'm from Cleveland and this is where I want to be. But I also am a competitor, so I want to be somewhere where I'm playing."
The Browns have historically had trouble with quarterbacks, and now they have two talented guys (via ESPN):
"Hoyer started to win over Cleveland fans when he guided the Browns to a 3-0 mark last season before being lost for the year with an injury. His performance this season has gone more than a step further and has even been good enough to go toe-to-toe with the best passers in the league."
The problem now is that both of those guys want to play. So don't be surprised if either Hoyer or Manziel leaves Cleveland next year.
What do you think?
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