Journeyman quarterback Brian Hoyer has played for five different franchises. His best years as a pro were spent in Cleveland under the tutelage of former offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. Brian Hoyer won 7 of his 13 starts in 2014 which is better than anyone can say in recent Browns history. In Hoyer’s mind, he compared his time with Shanahan very similar to his first 3 years with Bill Belichick.
“For me, you just know those two, when you see them in the building, they’re constantly thinking about football,” Hoyer said. “That’s the one thing I really admired about Kyle. You knew when he was there, he was putting the work in, that’s all he was focused on. He might walk by you in the hallway, and you’d say, ‘Hey what’s up, Kyle?’ and he’d keep walking.
“But that was because he’s working on third down or he’s worried about the red area. To me, his total commitment, his mind, he’s always thinking about it. That’s why I made the comparison. Bill was the same way. You’d see him in the hallway, ‘Hey Bill,’ and he’d just look up, and nod, and keep going. You knew he had so much he was thinking about.”
I don’t think anyone is going to deny that Shanahan is a terrific hire by the 49ers. The question is whether he can sustain long term success in San Francisco. Owner Jed York has shown little patience with coaches in the past.
