National Football League

Brady chimes in on 'Understudy Bowl'

Published Nov. 13, 2014 1:07 p.m. ET

foxsports

Sunday's Cleveland Browns-Houston Texans game is the "Understudy Bowl," and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is having a little fun with it.

Brady posted on his public Facebook page Thursday a picture of Ryan Mallett carrying the pads and helmets belonging to Brady and Brian Hoyer off the training camp practice field in 2011, Mallett's rookie season.

Mallett makes his first career start Sunday for the Texans against Hoyer, who has the Browns at 6-3 and in first place in the AFC North heading into the weekend.

Even Tom Brady is hashtagging these days.

Hoyer was released by the Patriots after training camp in 2012, Mallett's second season. Hoyer won all three of his starts last season before tearing his ACL.

The Texans traded for Mallett after this year's preseason. In Houston he's reunited with Bill O'Brien, who's now the Texans head coach after serving as the Patriots quarterbacks coach in 2011 when both Mallett and Hoyer were on the roster.

"That was a good group of guys in that room with Tom and Brian and Ryan," O'Brien said this week. "Ryan was a rookie and I think he learned a lot that year. He learned a lot about the NFL. When you're in a room with Tom and Brian, who at that time was in his third year, those guys really do a good job of working with the younger players. Specifically to Brian and Ryan, I would tell you that they had a good relationship there. Brian is a good guy - he's a good teammate - and so was Mallett. It was a good room."

Hoyer has called any comparison to Brady "the ultimate compliment" and said he's always believed Mallett -- who threw four passes in three years in New England -- had the talent to succeed in the NFL.

"I thought for sure (Mallett) was going to get his chance," Hoyer said. "It's good to see him finally get his shot and get a chance to go out and play. I'm excited for him, too, just as being a friend and a former teammate. I know, being a quarterback, you always want to get that shot to play. I'm sure he's excited, and we'll see how it goes."