Score one for Bruce Arians.
“Retired” in 2012 by the Steelers before becoming the offensive coordinator of the Colts and now the head coach of the Cardinals, the Cards scooped up and Arians squatted on quarterback Brian Hoyer after the Steelers cut him in December following a three-week cup of coffee. According to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Steelers wanted to sign Hoyer to serve as Ben Roethlisberger’s backup in 2013.
Hoyer’s unemployment for most of 2012 prevented him from becoming an unrestricted free agent in March, allowing the Cardinals to extend a second-round tender to Hoyer as a restricted free agent. Hoyer recently signed it.
The Steelers instead signed Pittsburgh native Bruce Gradkowski.
Of course, even if Hoyer would have been unrestricted, it doesn’t mean he would have picked the Steelers. Some think the Browns wanted him -- and that the Browns would have given him a chance to compete with Brandon Weeden and Colt McCoy for the starting job.