After a two-day visit with the New York Jets, free-agent quarterback Brian Hoyer left their facility Wednesday without a contract and is heading west to meet with the Denver Broncos, according to a league source.
The Jets were aware of Hoyer's plans to visit the Broncos, the source said. The Jets, locked in a contract impasse with the unsigned Ryan Fitzpatrick, remain interested in Hoyer and will continue to monitor his situation.
Hoyer, released Sunday by the Houston Texans, is drawing interest from five to six teams, a source said. But the Jets and Broncos might have the edge because they can offer him the possibility of a starting job.
The Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers could be interested on Hoyer as well, offering backup positions.
The Jets still hope to re-sign Fitzpatrick, but the two sides don't appear close to an agreement. As the Jets wait out their 2015 starter, hoping he blinks first, they continue to explore other options.
As they did with Robert Griffin III at the start of free agency, they brought in Hoyer to have dinner with team officials and meet with the offensive coaches.
The Jets could lose Hoyer, and they seem willing to take that chance. Fitzpatrick remains their No. 1 priority at quarterback, but there's a question of how long they're willing to wait. Coach Todd Bowles said recently there's an internal deadline, but he declined to reveal it.
The Jets have only two quarterbacks on the roster, former starter-turned-backup Geno Smith and the inexperienced Bryce Petty.
Several key veterans, including Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker, have lobbied for Fitzpatrick's return. Decker, Petty and Nick Mangold accompanied Fitzpatrick to the New York Rangers-Pittsburgh Penguins hockey game on Tuesday night, as team officials were dining with Hoyer.
The Broncos have a need at quarterback after Peyton Manning's retirement and Brock Osweiler's defection in free agency. They traded for Mark Sanchez, who joined Trevor Siemian as the only quarterbacks on the depth chart, while continuing to explore other options. One of them is possibly trading for Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers.
ESPN's Adam Caplan contributed to this report.