49ers' Lynch: Hoyer has chance to be franchise quarterback

Always the backup, never maybe the franchise quarterback.

Veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer is on his sixth team, having started at least one game for five franchises since the start of the 2012 season.

The 31-year-old has started just 31 games in that time, continually being thrust into starting roles as an injury replacement or the secondary choice when someone else fails.

When the San Francisco 49ers - with head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch - signed him in the offseason to be the 2017 starter, he was widely viewed as a placeholder until Shanahan's perceived No. 1 choice - Kirk Cousins - reaches free agency next summer.

Lynch may be changing his stance on what Hoyer can provide a team clearly in the midst of a significant rebuild.

“We’ve said from the beginning we want a franchise quarterback around here, and a lot of people are making assumptions as to what Brian’s role is,” Lynch said, according to Joe Fann of the 49ers' team website. “Our response to Brian and to everybody is he’s got the first crack of being that guy."

Hoyer has had stretches of success in the past, including four straight starts with at least 300 passing yards with the Chicago Bears last season. After his 2016 season was cut short by injury, doubts persisted regarding his abilities.

"I think (he’s) probably exceeded my expectations of how I thought he could play,” Lynch said. “(He’s) been very, very good. We’ve only played one preseason game and we’ve got to continue to let it develop, but he’s taking this opportunity and I think doing a tremendous job with it.”

The last time Hoyer worked with Shanahan - with the Cleveland Browns in 2014 - he led the league with 13.7 yards per completion. Lynch and Shanahan have controlled the variables involved in their quarterback experiment by bringing in wide receivers Pierre Garcon, Marquise Goodwin, and Aldrick Robinson.