Brian Hoyer to Start for Raiders in Place of Injured Jimmy Garoppolo

The veteran backup will make his first start of the year in Chicago.

The Raiders will start veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer on Sunday against the Bears in place of Jimmy Garoppolo, according to multiple reports.

The news was broken by The Athletic’s Dianna Russini on Friday and confirmed by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Garoppolo suffered a back injury last Sunday against the Patriots, missing the second half as he was transported to a hospital. Hoyer relieved Garoppolo, his first action of the regular season, leading Las Vegas to a victory with 102 passing yards.

This is the second game Garoppolo will miss this season, as the quarterback dealt with a concussion earlier in the year. In that instance, the Raiders started rookie Aidan O’Connell, who struggled with 238 passing yards and one interception in a loss to the Chargers.

Hoyer has been in the NFL since 2009, primarily playing for the Patriots but also seeing regular-season playing time with seven other teams. The veteran has started three games since the 2018 season, most recently in a spot start for the Patriots last year.

The Bears are starting quarterback Tyson Bagent in place of the injured Justin Fields. Kickoff at Soldier Field in Chicago is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET Sunday.