The Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots both announced their practice squad on Wednesday, with the Eagles cutting quarterback Nick Folk and Brian Hoyer.
The Nick Folk and Brian Hoyer Dropped to Practice Squad is a story about the Cleveland Browns. Nick Folk was cut from the team, and Brian Hoyer was placed on the practice squad.
Brian Hoyer/Getty Images
According to the official NFL wire, both K Nick Folk and QB Brian Hoyer were returned to the practice squad on Monday after the New England Patriots’ devastating 17-16 defeat to the Miami Dolphins in Week 1.
Both Folk and Hoyer played in Sunday’s game, with the former making three field goals in the defeat. This back-and-forth dance seems to be going on throughout the rest of the season.
Both players are likely to spend the whole year on this merry-go-round.
COVID-19 introduced more flexible practice squad regulations to assist clubs deal with possible player availability problems. Many clubs, notably the Patriots, have taken use of flexibility in different ways.
Expanded practice squads allow clubs to keep veterans hidden while promoting young players to the 53-man roster to prevent them from being poached by rival teams. Quinn Nordin, an undrafted free agency kicker, may have been on the radar of a club in need of a kicker.
The Patriots clearly think they have a young talent who can help them in the future, as well as insurance for Folk if he gets hurt or struggles.
Nordin turned 23 last month, and Folk will be 37 in November. While Folk has performed well for the Patriots over the past two seasons, there is no doubt about which kicker the team prefers in the future.
Nordin has exceptional leg strength, and the Patriots seem to have faith in him.
As Mac Jones’ unofficial mentor, Hoyer has a fairly secure position. Hoyer has spent so much time as a backup quarterback in the Patriots’ system that he understands it better than anybody who isn’t Tom Brady or Josh McDaniels.
For a rookie quarterback, there isn’t a better player to serve as a second voice to McDaniels. I don’t anticipate either Folk or Hoyer to be sidelined for the Patriots’ Week 2 game against the New York Jets, despite their respective situations.
The Rest of the Patriots’ 2024 Schedule
- Week 2 – CBS – September 19 – against New York Jets at 1 p.m. ET
- Week 3 – New Orleans Saints vs. FOX – September 26 at 1 p.m. ET
- Week 4 – NBC – 8:20 p.m. ET – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – October 3
- Week 5 – CBS – October 10 at 1 p.m. ET – vs Houston Texans
- Dallas Cowboys @ 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS – Week 6 – October 17
- Week 7 – CBS – October 24 @ 1 p.m. ET – New York Jets
- Week 8 – CBS – October 31 at 4:05 p.m. ET – at Los Angeles Chargers
- Week 9 – CBS – November 7 – against Carolina Panthers at 1 p.m. ET
- Week 10 – Cleveland Browns vs. CBS – November 14 at 1 p.m. ET
- Week 11 – FOX/NFL Network/Amazon – November 18 – against Atlanta Falcons @ 8:20 p.m. ET
- Tennessee Titans @ 1 p.m. ET on CBS in Week 12 – November 28
- Week 13 – Sunday, December 6 @ 8:15 p.m. ET, against Buffalo Bills – ESPN
- Week 14 is a rest week.
- Week 15 – against Indianapolis Colts – December 18 (time TBA)
- Jacksonville Jaguars @ 1 p.m. ET on CBS in Week 16 – January 2
- Week 17 – CBS – January 9 – against Miami Dolphins at 1 p.m. ET
