Cleveland Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer (6) waves to fans as he leaves the field following a 22-17 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 2, 2014, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Barely visible in the back of Brian Hoyer’s locker, buried under caps, shirts and a knee brace, are a reminder of a moment that changed the quarterback’s career.

Hoyer keeps the orange-and-black cleats he was wearing on Oct. 3 last season, when he tore a knee ligament sliding at the end of a scramble.

That was the last time he played on Thursday night, and as he prepares for this Thursday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Hoyer joked about wearing those cleats again.

Hoyer called the injury “a significant moment” and he’s kept the cleats as a symbol of “the second part of my career.”

He’s 8-3 as Cleveland’s starter, but a win over the first-place Bengals could solidify his standing with the Browns (5-3). Hoyer is in the final year of his contract, and with first-round pick Johnny Manziel around, his future is uncertain.

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