Tim Boyle isn’t a household name, but he should get a decent amount of run when the New York Jets face the Cleveland Browns in Thursday night’s annual Hall of Fame Game. A former undrafted free agent who entered the NFL in 2018, Boyle is probably best known as something of an Aaron Rodgers understudy. He’ll continue in that role in 2022 after the Jets inked him to a free agent contract earlier this year.
Tim Boyle’s Path to the New York Jets
After winning three championships at Xavier High School in Middletown, Conn., Boyle nearly committed to play college football at Boston College before deciding to stay closer to home and signing with UConn. He started eight games over three seasons before transferring to Eastern Kentucky.
NCAA rules forced Boyle to sit out the 2016 campaign after transferring, but he started 11 games in 2017 and led the Ohio Valley Conference in passing with 2,134 yards. Although he wasn’t necessarily viewed as an NFL prospect, Boyle paced all quarterbacks with a 35.5-inch vertical jump and finished second among QBs with a 4.75-second 40-yard dash at the 2018 Combine.
Boyle wasn’t selected in the 2018 draft but quickly signed with the Packers as an undrafted free agent. He didn’t see any action behind Rodgers and backup DeShone Kizer, but he ascended to the No. 2 spot on Green Bay’s depth chart in 2019. Still, Boyle rarely played, attempting just four passes between 2019 and 2020.
With Jordan Love locked in as Rodgers’ new backup, the Packers didn’t tender Boyle as a restricted free agent after the 2020 campaign. Instead, Boyle joined the division-rival Lions on a one-year, $2.5 million contract that included $1.5 million in guaranteed money.
After beginning the 2021 season on injured reserve, Boyle made his first career NFL start in Week 11, completing 15 of 23 attempts for just 77 yards. He’d go on to make two more starts over the rest of the year, all of which resulted in Detroit losses.
Boyle re-signed with the Lions in March 2022 but was released before the start of the regular season. He spent most of the year on Detroit’s practice squad before the Bears signed him to their active roster in November.
Now, Boyle is back alongside Rodgers after inking a one-year deal with the Jets in April.
“He’s just a special guy,” Rodgers said in 2021 when Boyle was preparing for his first start with the Lions. “I watched him grow and develop over the years with us, not just as a person, but as a player. He’s got a big-time arm, and he’s very athletic, as well.”
Zach Wilson will be New York’s No. 2 quarterback, but Boyle will likely earn a spot on the club’s practice squad. With the NFL’s new third QB rule, he could be elevated for game days without taking up a spot on the active roster.