San Francisco 49ers: Ranking the 10 most important players in 2017
By Peter Panacy
No. 7: Quarterback Brian Hoyer
Quarterback Brian Hoyer is on this list almost by default. The last we checked, quarterback is still the most important position in all of football, so it’s impossible to leave him out.
Hoyer isn’t going to be the next franchise great. He’s a stopgap option, and everyone knows it.
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But he’s important for the 49ers’ 2017 campaign for a number of reasons aside from just being a placeholder.
The 31-year-old veteran isn’t going to wow fans with pinpoint accuracy or a cannon of an arm. That’s not his game. And he’s not the kind of athlete, like a former Niners quarterback, capable of ripping off a 50-yard run at any moment either.
Instead, Hoyer will be tasked with managing an offense likely to feature a lot of ground attack. Keeping defenses honest will be a key part of Hoyer’s responsibilities. If he can be effective, it’s all the better for San Francisco.
Another key reason to list Hoyer’s importance is to remind everyone he played under Kyle Shanahan’s tutelage with the Cleveland Browns back in 2014. In fact, Hoyer led the NFL with an average of 13.7 yards per completion that year.
Not bad.
But the long-term impact will be felt by Hoyer’s understanding of the system. Shanahan operates one of the most complex offenses in the league.
Eventually, the 49ers are going to find their next franchise signal-caller. It will be up to Hoyer to act as this eventual quarterback’s first pro-level mentor.