The Indianapolis Colts are filling their thin quarterback ranks by signing former Patriot Brian Hoyer to a three-year, $12 million deal that includes $9 million guaranteed, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Andrew Luck abruptly retired from the NFL this preseason, leaving Jacoby Brissett as the starter. Brissett was also a Patriots backup to start his career.

The Patriots went with rookie Jarrett Stidham as the backup to Tom Brady, releasing Hoyer.

Hoyer, 33, started his career with the Patriots and also had stints with the Cardinals, Browns, Texans, Bears and 49ers before returning to New England last season. He has 37 starts in 65 NFL games. He started 13 games for the Browns in 2014.

The Colts had brought in veteran Brock Osweiler for a visit last week. The only other quarterbacks on the Colts' roster at that time were Phillip Walker and Chad Kelly.

Walker had never played a snap in a regular-season game and was subsequently waived before joining the Colts' practice squad on Sunday. Kelly has been placed on the suspended list for the first two games of the season for violating the league's personal conduct policy.