Former Chicago Bears quarterback Brian Hoyer was part of the initial free agent signings by the San Francisco 49ers. Having played within head coach Kyle Shanahan's system, Hoyer was immediately seen as a good fit for the 49ers as a temporary solution at quarterback for the team. The eight-year veteran started 13 games while Shanahan was the offensive coordinator for a season (2014) in Cleveland.
Hoyer went on NFL Network's "NFL Fantasy Live" on Wednesday to discuss joining the 49ers. He didn't want to pass up on playing for Shanahan again and being part of what he is creating in San Francisco. The team also signed former Washington Redskins wide receiver Pierre Garçon during that initial wave of signings. Garçon also played within Shanahan's offense in Washington.
Hoyer was asked how long it takes for a quarterback and a receiver to develop a relationship where they are comfortable with each other on the field. "That's what the offseason is all about where you have phase one and then you get into your OTAs and then minicamp and then you hope you get some kind of work together in between that minicamp and training camp," Hoyer responded. "And then once training camp rolls around, you better be pretty close. Obviously, there's going to be the nuances that you work on and you get a lot of reps day after day but it's really the offseason when you build that chemistry.
Brian Hoyer: Chemistry is built in the offseason
"And I think, for me, having played in this offense, to have a guy like Pierre Garçon who played in this offense as well, who's a tremendous playmaker, that will really help everybody else because we can go in as leaders of this offense and try to help everybody along as we go and say, 'Look, we've played this play before. This is how we see it.' I think that will really be huge for us."
Shanahan is a first-year head coach and he is joined by a first-year general manager in John Lynch. Hoyer was asked about his dealings with Lynch through the recruiting and signing process that landed him in San Francisco. "I've met John several times because of him calling a few of my games and you could always tell when you sit down at these production meetings, some of these guys, they kind of just throw it out there," Hoyer said. "John was very precise. You can tell he'd been watching film. He's talking about specific plays. That always kind of struck me. And then when you see him get hired, for me, as a player, I love it because it's a guy who's been in my shoes, knows what the daily grind is day in and day out.
"And then I finally get a chance to go out there and meet him as my GM. Just to see the passion, the excitement that he brings – he's really excited about it and I think that kind of trickles down. When you talk to him and Kyle together, you can see that they have a singular vision for where they want to take the 49ers and I'm just grateful that they chose me to be a part of it."
Hoyer signed a two-year deal worth $12 million to be a quarterback with the 49ers. He is one of two quarterbacks currently signed by the team. The day after Hoyer's signing, the 49ers signed his teammate from Chicago, Matt Barkley, to a two-year deal. The 49ers are also expected to draft at least one quarterback at the end of April.