Getty Dan Campbell calling a play with the Lions in 2021 against Atlanta.
The Detroit Lions didn’t find an in-house solution as they hoped at quarterback this offseason, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to keep one of the combatants around.
Last week, as part of final roster cuts, the Lions released quarterback Tim Boyle. Boyle sat on the market for a week, and the Lions didn’t add a different quarterback to the practice squad. Thus, there was a match for Boyle to return.
On Monday, September 5, it was revealed by Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network that the Lions would be bringing Boyle back to the team via the practice squad.
The #Lions are re-signing QB Tim Boyle to their practice squad, per source.
“The Lions are re-signing QB Tim Boyle to their practice squad, per source,” Pelissero tweeted.
Detroit had one more spot empty on their practice squad, and with Boyle now in tow, they will have 16 total players on the squad for 2022. Boyle will be the team’s quarterback, and at the very least, offers the Lions a player they could elevate in the event of a crisis situation with Jared Goff or Nate Sudfeld.
Sudfeld will be the team’s backup, but it’s clear the Lions still like some of what Boyle brings to the mix. David Blough, who was also released, was claimed by the Minnesota Vikings for their practice squad late last week.
With Boyle back, the Lions will continue to get a look at him in some form while giving him a chance to continue to develop.
Boyle Struggled With Lions This Preseason
This year, Boyle was given every shot to earn the team’s backup job, but struggled mightily, which forced the Lions to replace him.
Inconsistency was the name of the game for Boyle, as he would make a few solid plays, but also have some head-scratching mistakes on the field. In the preseason finale, Boyle struggled in a big way, having multiple passes tipped and an interception in Pittsburgh.
Boyle was a major reason many fans were very frustrated with the team and specifically the quarterbacks this preseason. After playing inconsistent in a few games down the stretch in 2021, the hope was he could cement the backup role for this year. It never happened, however.
Fortunately, Boyle will be out of sight and out of mind for fans on the practice squad this time around.
Boyle’s Career Stats & Highlights
Since joining the Packers prior to signing in Detroit, Boyle received a cult following with fans thanks to the way he performs in the offseason, training camp and preseason.
While his NFL experience isn’t deep, Boyle put up some decent stats in college, throwing for 3,371 yards, 12 touchdowns and 26 interceptions. He played at UCONN before transferring to Eastern Kentucky. Boyle played for the last three seasons in Green Bay in mostly mop up duty before coming to Detroit.
Still, Boyle had decent moments such as this throw against Atlanta:
As a whole, Boyle has 526 yards, three touchdowns and six interceptions as an NFL starter. While he wasn’t able to earn the backup job in Detroit, the team will be keeping him around on the practice squad now for 2022.
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