Brian Hoyer has done a pretty darn good job with the Cleveland Browns starting quarterback gig so far this season.
Sure, he's probably not headed to the Pro Bowl anytime soon, but with a completion percentage of 62.1%, six touchdowns, a single interception and last week's last-minute come from behind victory over the Tennessee Titans, chatter has started to build that Hoyer may have usurped Johnny Manziel for the role of "future face of the franchise."
Manziel, drafted 22nd overall out of Texas A&M, is the supposed heir to the throne in Cleveland. But with questions about his maturity and commitment to the NFL and the Browns lingering, and Hoyer playing like he's really got something to prove, it's looking more and more like things aren't going to be so simple for the Browns.
Keeping Hoyer - who originally entered the league with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent out of Michigan State and who is again a free agent after this season - will be neither cheap nor easy.
Hoyer's play, should it continue on its current trajectory, builds negotiating leverage in his favor. He currently has a passer rating of 97.7, which ranks behind that of eight Pro Bowl quarterbacks. Last season, Hoyer led the Browns to victories in Weeks 2 and 3 before suffering a torn ACL.
The Browns tried to sign him to a new contract before this season, reportedly offering him "backup money." Hoyer bet on himself and declined - it seems to be paying off so far.
The conundrum for the Browns centers on the contract they would have to offer in order to keep Hoyer. If he earns a contract commensurate with his current play, a contract that reflects starter-caliber money, he will be the de facto starter. This would force Manziel to the bench indefinitely, no doubt creating a controversy.
There's also the possibility of letting him walk - something that Hoyer has said he would do - even though he went to high school only two miles from FirstEnergy Stadium, where the Browns play their home games.
Cleveland went through a similar situation with Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn in 2007. Quinn was the young up-and-comer who lost the gig to veteran Anderson, who eventually crashed and burned as the Browns' full-time starter.
So there's probably also concern that paying Hoyer will backfire and he'll revert to the backup they originally thought he was.
Hoyer though has already proven that he can play well with the game - and his starting gig - on the line. He won an open competition with Manziel in training camp this year and has since kept Johnny Football on the bench.
A tough matchup this weekend with the rival Pittsburgh Steelers and their vaunted defense will hopefully be another step in clarifying the future for the Browns.
