Detroit Lions bring Tim Boyle back on the practice squad

After a week on the open market, Tim Boyle is coming back to the Detroit Lions on the practice squad.

For a few days, the Detroit Lions lingered with one spot left to fill on their practice squad. Now that spot has been filled, with NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reporting Tim Boyle has been re-signed to the practice squad.

After a dreadful preseason finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers (5-for-15 for 64 yards with an interception), Boyle didn’t make it through last Monday before being cut. It was easy to question if another NFL team would give him a chance, even on a practice squad, and as it turned out no one did.

So back to Detroit it is for Boyle.

With last week’s waiving of David Blough to sign Nate Sudfeld as Jared Goff’s new backup, the Lions had reported interest in bringing Blough back on the practice squad. So Boyle wasn’t even the first choice among previous incumbent backup quarterbacks to be brought back. But after clearing waivers Blough instead signed with the Minnesota Vikings, to their practice squad.

That it took as long as it did to just re-sign Boyle points to the Lions surveying other quarterback options they could’ve carried on the practice squad. As they should have done.

Tim Boyle makes some sense for the Lions to have around, for now

With Sudfeld signing so late, and openly acknowledging the studying he is doing to catch up and learn the Lions’ offense, Boyle has the comfort and somewhat necessity of familiarity as the team’s third quarterback.

But once Sudfeld is totally up to speed with the Lions’ offense, Boyle’s value during the practice week and as a fallback option to be called up to the active roster for games will naturally diminish. And even if Sudfeld is still getting to where needs to be over the first few weeks of the season, he will be the active No. 2 quarterback over Boyle on Sundays.

The practice squad can often be a place to carry a young, developmental-type quarterback. Boyle is obviously not that kind of quarterback, but by October the Lions may be using that 16th practice squad spot on a quarterback who is.