Big-armed QB Tim Boyle eager to make first career start for Lions; Jared Goff officially doubtful

Detroit Lions quarterback Tim Boyle (12) throws a pass during their NFL preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts at Ford Field in Detroit, on Friday, August 27, 2021. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)
  • 417 shares

ALLEN PARK -- Most NFL players grow up dreaming of starting in the NFL. But Tim Boyle is not most NFL players.

After all, how many other quarterbacks make the NFL after throwing 12 touchdown passes and 26 interceptions at the bottom rungs of college football?

“I don’t really think I envisioned myself starting in the NFL,” Boyle said.

But?

“It was always a dream,” Boyle said. “You don’t really think about it until it happens.”

On Sunday, it almost certainly will.

Detroit quarterback Jared Goff missed practice all week with an oblique injury and is listed as doubtful to play on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. That means the Lions are poised to turn over their offense to Boyle, who has taken a decidedly unconventional path from the University of Connecticut (where he threw one touchdown pass and 13 interceptions) to Eastern Kentucky, third-string quarterback in Green Bay, backup quarterback in Detroit, to probable NFL starter on Sunday in Cleveland.

“You think about all the ups and downs,” Boyle said. “My specific journey, it’s college and I struggled. It’s confidence, it’s leaning on family, it’s transferring and having an OK season and kinda picking myself up and plugging along. I’m proud of myself, I’m proud of how I handled my journey. And when it comes down to it, just like your profession, you’ve gotta be ready when your number is called. And I’m going to be ready.”

Boyle won three high school state championships at Xavier High School in Middletown, Connecticut, but bombed after enrolling at UConn in 2013. He threw no touchdown passes and eight interceptions that year and finished with just one TD and 13 picks before moving down to FCS-level Eastern Kentucky for his final season. And it didn’t go much better, throwing 11 TDs and another 13 picks for the Colonels.

That’s 12 touchdowns and 26 interceptions, a line you don’t see every day in the NFL.

But Boyle has always had a huge arm, and still got a shot with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted rookie in 2018. And he was impressive enough in the preseason to make the roster as the third quarterback behind Aaron Rodgers and DeShone Kizer. He developed into something of a folk hero in Green Bay over the years, where he rarely played -- completing 3 of 4 passes for 15 yards in three seasons -- but was always popular.

When the Packers didn’t pursue him after last season, Boyle opted to sign with the rebuilding Lions. Goff was entrenched as the starter, but has struggled through nine games -- ranking among the worst quarterbacks in the league according to pretty much every major statistic -- and bottoming out in a tie against Pittsburgh last week.

Goff suffered an oblique injury in the game, finished with just 54 yards in regulation -- a team-low since 2004 -- and hasn’t practiced since. He did feel better on Friday and was expected to give it a go after a throwing session, but never even suited up. He’s officially listed as doubtful to play, the worst designation a player can receive without being ruled out entirely.

With that, Boyle is expected to make his first NFL start for the winless Lions.

“Opportunities, especially in the NFL, come very few times unfortunately,” Boyle said. “But that’s the beauty of the NFL. It’s so competitive. It’s been a long journey. Just kind of reminiscing on my story, starting football when I was 6 years old, and here I am as a 27-year-old and still blessed to have this opportunity.”

Boyle flashed a big arm during the offseason and was expected to win the backup job heading into the season, but landed on injured reserve instead after breaking the thumb on his throwing hand in the preseason finale. The Lions still allowed Boyle to stick with the team anyway, including for all meetings and even traveling to away games, which is uncommon for injured players.

The club wanted Boyle to remain involved in case he was eventually needed, and sure enough, just days after returning to practice, he is.

While Goff is the more experienced option -- and that counts for a lot against a defense as good as Cleveland’s -- Boyle does have a much stronger arm, as well as a willingness to actually test defenses deep. That could unlock pages of the playbook that were inaccessible with the more conservative Goff under center.

“Let me say this about Tim Boyle: He lacks zero confidence, I can tell you that,” head coach Dan Campbell said with a smirk. “He’s got plenty of confidence, and so that’s a good thing. So, we’ll see where this game goes. If he’s our guy and see where the weather takes us, see where he takes us, but I know this, we have to be smart with him and let him work into a rhythm.”

Boyle said he’ll have a small contingent of family and friends on hand in Cleveland for the occasion, including his parents, siblings, girlfriend and some friends. But mostly he’s trying to remain low key head of his debut in the starting lineup.

“Good things happen to good people who work hard,” Boyle said. “I’ve always told myself that. I feel like I’m a good person. I try to spread kindness, love and do my thing. Yeah, reflecting on my journey, it’s been perseverance and self-confidence.

“I’ll meditate (Saturday night). I’ll breathe, talk to my family. I’ll study, and go to bed. Easy. It’s football. I’ve been playing since I was six. It’s an awesome opportunity, but at the end of the day, I can’t psyche myself out.”

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

X

Opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information

If you opt out, we won’t sell or share your personal information to inform the ads you see. You may still see interest-based ads if your information is sold or shared by other companies or was sold or shared previously.