The Detroit Lions need an upgrade behind Jared Goff, and here are four free agents they could target to replace Tim Boyle.
As Jared Goff struggled through the early portion of his first season as the Detroit Lions starting quarterback, there were clearly no options to replace him. Only an oblique injury in Week 10, which caused him to miss Week 11, opened the door for someone else to play. Tim Boyle made his first career start against the Cleveland Browns in Week 11, and he would make two more starts in Goff’s place before the season was over.
Boyle was coming off a preseason thumb injury in that first start, and the results were predictably abysmal (15-for-23, 77 yards, two interceptions, 34.1 passer rating). When he filled in for Goff in Week 16 against the Atlanta Falcons and Week 17 against the Seattle Seahawks, Boyle was better (as he could only have been). It’s not a stretch to say even marginally better quarterback play would have won the Lions the games against the Browns and Falcons.
Week 16: 24-for-34, 187 yards, one touchdown, one interception, 81.4 passer rating
Week 17: 22-for-37, 262 yards, two touchdowns, three interceptions, 65.4 passer rating
Boyle is set to become a free agent, but has said he would like to re-sign with the Lions. But even in a less than robust free agent class of quarterbacks, the Lions can and should pursue an upgrade behind Goff. No. 3 quarterback David Blough is a restricted free agent, but he’s in line to be gone.
Focusing on letting Boyle leave and thus replacing him, here are four free agent quarterbacks the Lions could pursue.