Rich CiminiESPN staff writer3 minutes to read
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Florham Park, NJ – N.Y The New York Jets added the former Green Bay Packers quarterback Thursday, but it wasn’t quite what everyone expected.
A source confirmed that while commercial talks with Aaron Rodgers were ongoing, the Jets signed one of his former backups, Tim Boyle, to a one-year contract.
Boyle, 28, who finished last season on the Chicago Bears’ roster, will reunite with offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. It overlapped Green Bay’s 2019 and 2020 seasons, with Hackett serving as coordinator from 2019 to 2021.
Boyle joins former second overall Zack Wilson and former practice squad player Chris Striefler in the Jets’ quarterback room. Wilson coach Robert Salih said last week at the league’s annual meetings that Wilson would be the No. 2 quarterback. Boyle provides veteran depth and familiarity with the system, which will help anchor the new offense.
Saleh carried three quarterbacks in each of his first two seasons, so it’s no surprise they’d add a veteran. Essentially, Boyle replaced Mike White, who signed with the Miami Dolphins as a free agent. Backup Joe Flacco remains unsigned.
Boyle spent three seasons with the Packers, making the team in 2018 as a non-referred free agent out of Eastern Kentucky. Playing behind Rodgers, the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 2020, he only attempted four passes during his time at Green Bay. However, he made a strong impression on Rodgers.
“He’s just a special guy,” Rodgers told Green Bay reporters in 2021, when Boyle was preparing to make his first career start as a member of the Detroit Lions. “I’ve watched him grow and develop over the years with us, not just as a person, but as a player. He’s got a great arm, and he’s very athletic as well.”
Boyle lost all three starts with the Lions in 2021, completing 61 of 94 passes for 526 yards, three touchdowns, and six interceptions. He was released in the 2022 preseason and was eventually signed by the Bears on November 30. He appeared in only one game for the Bears, throwing two interceptions on mopping duty in the last game of the season.
NFL Network first announced the agreement with the Jets.
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