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.
4 free agent quarterbacks the Detroit Lions could replace Tim Boyle with
4. Marcus Mariota
Mariota barely saw the field for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021 as Derek Carr’s backup, with two pass attempts, 13 rushing attempts (for 87 yards and a touchdown) on 24 total snaps. His last extensive action came late in the 2020 season when Carr was sidelined by an injury during a game, as he completed 17 of 28 passes for 226 yards with a touchdown and an interception along with 88 rushing yards and a touchdown on nine carries.
Mariota may have his eye on being able to compete for a starting job somewhere (Steelers, Broncos?, Browns?), and that kind of opportunity is at least less clearly available in Detroit. But on the idea general manager Brad Holmes might consider adding legit competition to the mix, Mariota could see Jared Goff as a vulnerable starter he can beat out if allowed the chance to.
3. Trevor Siemian
Siemian made four starts for the New Orleans Saints last season, with 11 touchdowns and three interceptions over six total appearances. Before that, he made one start (for the New York Jets in 2019) over the prior three seasons.
Siemian has had the most substantial action in his career with the post-Peyton Manning (and Super Bowl 50 win) Denver Broncos. He made 24 starts over the 2016 and 2017 seasons, as first-round pick Paxton Lynch proved he was a bust right off the bat. He went 13-11 in those starts, with a positive touchdown-to-interception ratio (30:24), a completion rate a shade above 59 percent (59.3) and a passer rating a litle shy of 80 (79.9) over 25 total games over that span. Perfectly backup-caliber quarterback stats.
Siemian would be a solid upgrade over Boyle, but shy of a serious candidate to beat Goff out for the starting job. That looks like the sweet spot for the Lions to hit in their search for a new backup quarterback.
2. Jacoby Brissett
Brissett made five starts for the Miami Dolphins when Tua Tagovailoa was out last season. The results were decidedly mediocre ( 217.8 passing yards per game, 63 percent completion rate, five touchdowns, three interceptions, 81.5 passer rating in his starts).
He has 37 NFL starts under his belt, but it’s safe to say we haven’t really seen Brissett in an ideal situation. He was traded by the New England Patriots to the Indianapolis Colts late in the 2017 preseason, as Andrew Luck dealt with a shoulder injury that would ultimately cost him that entire season. Brissett started 15 games in an offense he had to learn on the fly, with a roster around him that severely lacked talent. He was sacked a league-high 52 times.
In 2019, Brissett was again pressed into starting duty on short notice for the Colts when Luck suddenly retired in late-August. He played through a knee injury for a chunk of that season, missing just one start as he threw for over 2,900 yards with a 3:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio (18 touchdowns, six interceptions).
Brissett looks like the ideal backup to have if you don’t want to put real pressure on your starter (hence why the Dolphins signed him to back up Tagovailoa). But at the same time, he has a god chunk of starting experience and could keep things well afloat in place of Goff if he had to play.
1. Colt McCoy
Those that remember or followed McCoy closely during his college career at the University of Texas may find it startling he’ll turn 36 as the 2022 season gets ready to go in September. He held down the fort when Kyler Murray missed time for the Arizona Cardinals this past season, winning two of his three starts with a passer rating over 112 in each victory (both wins came over NFC West opponents–the 49ers and the Seahawks).
The Cardinals might like to re-sign McCoy, but it’s just as likely he’s headed for his fourth team in as many seasons in 2022. If you look up “journeyman backup” in an updated dictionary, his picture is likely taking shape right next to it. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. There are far worse gigs out there than collecting a decent check as a reliable NFL backup quarterback, and rarely having to play.
It’s easy to say McCoy would not really be an upgrade over Boyle on the depth chart behind Goff. But for the role the Lions will likely want to have filled, with a rookie signal caller perhaps entering the mix too, McCoy looks perfect.