4 Detroit Lions who don’t deserve another season with the team in 2022

1. QB Tim Boyle

Coming off IR after he was recovered from late preseason thumb surgery, Boyle had never made an NFL start (or seen meaningful action) before Week 11 last season when he filled in for Jared Goff. Such is life when you’re a backup to Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay prior to signing with the Lions, but Boyle’s college resume was not exactly robust and reeking of star potential.

In that first start, while also not being quite all the way back to full health from that surgery, Boyle was predictably bad (15-for-23 for 77 yards with two interceptions) in a 13-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns. He made two more starts in Goff’s place late in the season (Week 16 and Week 17) and was better, but it’s not as if he could have been much worse than in that first outing.

Goff is not to be regarded as injury-prone, but the Lions can and should upgrade the depth chart behind him this offseason. Boyle is an unrestricted free agent, and he may have some sneaky options on the open market. It’s a no-brainer for the Lions to mine the market for another veteran backup, and Boyle should only be re-signed if all those pursuits somehow fail.