Lions QB Jared Goff is dealing with an oblique injury, so as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports, Tim Boyle will be Detroit’s starting signal-caller in the club’s matchup against the Browns this afternoon. It will be the first start of the 27-year-old’s career.
Boyle served as Aaron Rodgers‘ backup in Green Bay over the past several seasons, and though he had attempted just four career passes, the Lions inked him to a one-year, $2.5MM deal in March after he was non-tendered by the Packers (who were making room for Jordan Love). Unfortunately, Boyle’s strong training camp was marred by a thumb injury, and he was forced to start the 2021 campaign on IR as a result. He was designated to return earlier this month.
In the meantime, David Blough has been operating as Goff’s clipboard holder, and he will stay in his QB2 role today. Schefter says that if Boyle should struggle — he only recently returned to practice, so he is not as sharp as he could be — then Blough could be sent into the game. Because the Lions also play their traditional Thanksgiving contest in just a few days, either Boyle or Blough will likely be in line to start on Turkey Day as well.
It has been another difficult year for the Lions, who managed a tie with the Mason Rudolph-led Steelers last week to improve to 0-8-1. Detroit hoped that Goff, acquired in this offseason’s blockbuster Matthew Stafford trade, would be able to recapture the Pro Bowl form he displayed in the 2017-18 seasons, but he has largely struggled. Though O-line issues and a dearth of receiver talent are at least partially to blame, Goff’s 84.0 QB rating would represent his lowest mark since his seven-game rookie output. As such, Schefter confirms that the Lions’ quarterback situation for the rest of this season and beyond is unsettled.
The team has no realistic way of getting out of Goff’s contract until after the 2022 season, so he will almost certainly be back next year. But it does not sound like he is guaranteed to get his starting job back even when he is fully recovered, and the Lions will likely be in a position to draft one of 2022’s top collegiate passers in the spring. Starting today, Boyle will try to make his case to be involved in the conversation.
Of course, Boyle will have head coach Dan Campbell calling his offensive plays. Campbell took over play-calling duties from OC Anthony Lynn for the Pittsburgh game, and that arrangement will presumably hold through the end of the year. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports that Campbell — who still has the full respect of his locker room — is not planning to make any in-season coaching changes, but there will probably be some sort of shakeup to the staff in the offseason.
So..Crying Campbell still “has the full respect of the locker room”?! What a damning statement. Clearly the entire roster, in addition to their emotionally unstable coach, need to be cleared out. What an all around embarrassment of a franchise.
Don’t be an idiot. You don’t clear the entire coaching staff out after one year. He gets 3 years & a new young QB.
See Cleveland
Relegation would be great in the NFL. They could finally rid themselves of the scourge that is the Detroit Lions.
Would never happen. Firestone and Ford are 2 major sponsors of the NFL. Last time I checked money talks. Besides the NFL isn’t going to allow a market of that size go without a team.
relegation to where?
First the SEC then the Mountain West then BIG12
They couldn’t compete in the fictitious league that was Playmakers on ESPN.
Ridiculously stupid remark with zero possibility of ever happening. Ford has a huge NFL advertising budget and this is why they still have a televised Turkey game when they suck ass. The Lions will forever be a befuddling organization but the new GM is smart & has a plan. It’s ugly now but it will change.
Well, the Turkey game in particular is contractually obligated.
Picking up Goff’s contract in the Stafford trade was one of the dumbest moves ever by a GM. They should have just taken the picks for Stafford and called it a day. Goff’s cap hit will hamstring Detroit’s pursuit of free agents for the next 3 years – even if they dump Goff after next year.
No, it was still a good move. The Lions couldn’t care less about this season’s record. All they’ve done is improve draft position.
The deal wouldnt have happened without Goff. Unloading his salary was nearly as important as getting Stafford
It will not hamstring anything. They aren’t going for FA in 2022. They will have 2 1st round picks in 2022 and a ton of cap room in 2023. Its what GM wanted. Goff wasn’t supposed to be this bad.
The picks were for taking Goff and his contract.
Campbell is nothing but a sound bite. I’ve never understood they hype around the guy.
The Lions hired the wrong Campbell.
Calais?
Matt
Best of luck to Boyle— he deserved better from GB based on preseason performance but the FO hitched their wagon to an underperforming Jordan Love.
Patricia and Quinn did not do any favors with the roster. Going to take some time and losing to rebuild the turd.
Boyle has some game but needs playmakers around him which is not in Detroit
The Lions have $64M in Dead Cap Money, that includes two hits for Jamie Collins of $5.53M and $1.8M. They have $23M on Injured Reserve.
No team is going to excel with those anchors holding you down.
For 2022 they already have $8.1M in Dead Cap Money including a 3rd hit for Jamie Collins $6.3M. You can expect additional dead cap money hits for: Vaitai $1.4M, Flowers $7.2M as both of them have a greater freed cap space than dead money hit.