Back to the New England Patriots Newsfeed

Source: Patriots inform QB Hoyer of his release

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots have informed veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer that they will release him by Saturday's 4 p.m. ET deadline, a league source confirmed, which means rookie Jarrett Stidham is the top backup to Tom Brady.

The decision was one of the most important for the Patriots to make Saturday in trimming rosters to 53 players, with Stidham gaining momentum late in the preseason as Hoyer didn't play in the team's final two games.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick has generally preferred to carry just two quarterbacks on the roster in recent years, which allows him to keep a player at a position that might have a greater chance to contribute on game day, but the club carried three in both 2011 and 2016 after drafting quarterbacks Ryan Mallett ('11) and Jacoby Brissett ('16) in the third round.