The Patriots have reportedly re-signed Brian Hoyer to join a crowded QB room. (AP photo)

BOSTON (AP) — And then there were four.

Veteran backup Brian Hoyer has reportedly returned to the New England Patriots quarterback room, the team signing him to a one-year deal on Monday.

Hoyer,35, joins Cam Newton, Jarrett Stidham, and rookie Mac Jones in the Patriots quarterback room.

He was actually the No. 2 quarterback on the Patriots depth chart early in the season and got his only Patriots start in his third stint with the team last October in week four vs. Kansas City when Newton was sidelined with COVID-19. Hoyer completed 15 of 24 passes for 130 yards and an interception before being replaced by Stidham in the second half. When Newton returned, Hoyer was the odd man out, basically inactive for bulk of the rest of the season.

The Patriots also have signed veteran offensive linemen James Ferentz and Alex Redmond, adding depth up front heading in advance of their offseason program.

Ferentz returns to New England, where he’s appeared in 24 games over the past four seasons. That included a pair of starts in 2020. The 31-year-old also previously spent two seasons in Denver and one in Houston.

Redmond, 26, was signed by Cincinnati as an undrafted free agent in 2017. The 26-year-old has played mostly at right guard and has appeared in 32 games for the Bengals since then, including 24 starts.

New England opens the voluntary portion of its offseason program on May 24.

(Telegraph staff writer Tom King contributed to this report.)