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One thing seems clear when it came to the Cleveland Browns' decision between QB Brian Hoyer and QB Josh McCown: money was not a factor. According to multiple reports, the Houston Texans are signing Hoyer today under the following terms:
Brian Hoyer will sign a 2yr deal worth $10M with $4.75M guaranteed with the Texans today
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) March 11, 2015
We broke down McCown's contract a few days ago. His deal is 3 years for $14 million, with $6.25 million guaranteed over the life of the contract. That is an average of $4.66 million per year, although it could increase if McCown leads Cleveland to the playoffs in any of the seasons he is under contract.
Hoyer's deal is 2 years for $10.5 million, with $4.75 million guaranteed. He averages slightly more money per year ($5.25 million), but has less guaranteed money in the long run. In the end, the contract values are pretty comparable, though -- if the Browns really wanted Hoyer, money wouldn't have been an issue. The true breakdown seemed to come after the Browns hired their new offensive coordinator; as we reported a few days ago, Cleveland reached out to Hoyer last month to re-sign him, but Hoyer and his agent wanted to wait. The Browns then moved in a different direction.