Getty Former Green Bay Packers quarterback Tim Boyle has found a new home.
The New York Jets are pulling out all the stops to make quarterback Aaron Rodgers happy prior to his potential trade, even signing one of his former backups with the Green Bay Packers.
Despite Rodgers not currently on New York’s roster, the four-time MVP has made a wishlist of players he wants to play with in 2023. The Jets have appeared eager to appease the 39-year-old quarterback, even signing one of his former Packers teammates in Allen Lazard to a four-year, $44 million deal.
Now, the Jets are also bringing in one of Rodgers’ old backups that was a popular player in Green Bay’s locker room. Mike Garafolo with NFL Network tweeted on Thursday, April 6 that the Jets were signing backup quarterback Tim Boyle to a one-year deal, reuniting him with offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and potentially Rodgers.
Boyle was an undrafted quarterback out of Western Kentucky in 2018, landing on the Packers roster as a backup from 2018 through 2020. Since then, the 28-year-old has spent time around the NFC North, serving as a backup for both the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears.
Now, Boyle will have the opportunity to likely play behind his old teammate once again in New York.
The Packers Still Need a Veteran Backup QB
While the Jets are getting ahead of the Rodgers trade and signing a backup for him and Zach Wilson, the Packers still have an uncertain future behind Jordan Love.
Once Rodgers is traded, former LSU and Purdue quarterback Danny Etling will be the only quarterback on the roster behind Love. While the 28-year-old has served as a backup in the NFL since 2018, the Packers will likely need a more established veteran with playing experience to sit behind and mentor Love.
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst even admitted as much while speaking to reporters at NFL owner meetings in Phoenix. During his availability, Gutekunst stated that the team would be looking for a QB with some experience before the start of the 2023 season.
Only a few established options still remain, but there are a few out there. One name that has been mentioned as a potential backup for the Packers is former NFL MVP Matt Ryan. The 37-year-old worked with Packers head coach Matt LaFleur during his MVP season when LaFleur was Atlanta’s quarterbacks coach, giving the two an already established relationship.
Other names to consider include Teddy Bridgewater and Carson Wentz, but the Packers could also look to the 2023 NFL Draft to find someone to play behind Love.
Latest on Aaron Rodgers
While the Packers plan to find a backup quarterback of their own, the Aaron Rodgers trade saga has taken an interesting turn with just a few weeks to go before the 2023 NFL Draft.
Trade rumors have taken on a new life after Craig Carton with FOX Sports shared that the San Francisco 49ers had expressed interest in trading for Rodgers. The proposed trade that the Packers could offer included multiple third-round picks and a first-round pick in 2024, generating some interest from Packers fans.
Other interesting trade proposals have been thrown out there. Peter King with NBC Sports reported that the Packers and Jets have discussed similar compensation to trades that involved Brett Favre and Joe Montana, while also suggesting a firm deadline of April 28 for a trade to get done.
There are still a few weeks until this year’s draft, so for now Packers fans will have to anxiously wait on a deal to finally get done.