Tim Boyle college stats: How ex-UConn QB made it to NFL despite awful TDs to INTs ratio

The 2023 season has not been kind to the Jets — a statement that can be applied to a majority of Gang Green's NFL campaigns in recent history.

The Jets host the Dolphins on Friday for the first-ever NFL Black Friday game. When the league originally scheduled the game ahead of the 2023 season, it appeared as though fans would be treated to a holiday clash between AFC East favorites, with Aaron Rodgers going up against Tua Tagovailoa. 

New York fans unfortunately know that is not the reality they face today. Rodgers went down just four plays into the season with an Achilles injury, and it's been a downward spiral at the quarterback position since. The Jets opted to stay in-house, giving third-year QB Zach Wilson the reins of the offense in the hopes that his short time under Rodgers' tutelage would change things around for the 2022 No. 2 pick. 

The improvements have not happened with the BYU product, and it's forced the hands of the Jets' coaching staff. It won't be Rodgers or Wilson at the helm of New York's offense on Friday, but instead, journeyman Tim Boyle. 

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Boyle is making his first start since 2021, when he was forced into the starting role in Detroit after an injury to Jared Goff. The 29-year-old signed with New York this offseason, and saw his first game action last week when he entered in relief of Wilson in a loss to the Bills.

Instead of going back to Wilson, coach Robert Saleh is tabbing Boyle for the Black Friday start with the hope that a new leader under center can improve an offense that could go down as one of the worst in NFL history. 

"It’s just to give (Boyle) an opportunity to see if we can do something with the offense," Saleh said.

Losing your job to a 29-year-old journeyman who has spent most of his career on the sidelines rather than on the field is bad enough. But Wilson is getting passed over for a quarterback who managed to throw more interceptions than touchdowns in college. 

Here is more on Boyle and his college career:

Tim Boyle college stats

UConn

A native of Middlefield, Conn., Boyle played high school football at Xavier High School, leading the team to three state championships. It helped him get recruited by nearby UConn, though then-Syracuse offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, now in the same role with the Jets, tried to lure the QB to the Orange. 

Boyle spent three seasons playing with the Huskies. His first year was one to forget, as the quarterback played in five games, but managed to throw eight interceptions in that time.

He saw an increase in playing time over the next two years, playing in nine and 11 games. While Boyle did not throw nearly as many picks as he did as a first-year player, he struggled to find the end zone. In fact, by the time he left UConn after the 2015 season, the QB had recorded just one passing TD during his time with the Huskies. 

* Boyle appeared in six additional games in 2015 as UConn's holder on kicks

Eastern Kentucky

After three years at UConn, Boyle transferred to Eastern Kentucky. He sat out the 2016 season, but was named the Colonels' starter in 2017. As a redshirt senior, he led the Ohio Valley Conference in passing yards his last year. 

Tim Boyle interceptions

You'll notice a major issue with Boyle's stat line at UConn. Throwing just one touchdown in 19 games is bad enough, but the interceptions are even worse. 

During his three seasons in Storrs, the quarterback was picked off 13 times. He threw eight interceptions in just five games his freshman year, and then the numbers decreased to three and two, respectively, his last two years as a Huskie. 

Things did not necessarily get better when Boyle transferred to Eastern Kentucky. While his touchdowns skyrocketed, recording 11 in 2017 with the Colonels, his turnover problems continued, as he finished his last NCAA season with 13 picks. 

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Was Tim Boyle drafted?

Boyle was not drafted by an NFL team. He was eligible to be selected in 2018, but was passed over by all 32 teams in the league. 

As a result, he signed as an undrafted free agent with Green Bay ahead of the 2018 season. 

Tim Boyle NFL career timeline

Boyle is currently in his sixth season in the NFL, and is with his fourth team. This year marks his first with the Jets after initially signing with the team's practice squad. 

Green Bay Packers (2018-20)

Boyle signed with the Packers ahead of the 2018 as an undrafted free agent. After a strong showing in the preseason, he was named to the active roster as the third-string QB behind Aaron Rodgers and DeShone Kizer. 

He did not play at all during the 2018 season, and he only saw action in 2019 in garbage time of games. Boyle totaled three appearances with the Packers in 2019 and made eight appearances without a passing attempt in 2020.

After three years with the team, he was not extended a tender as a restricted free agent, making him an unrestricted free agent in 2021. 

Detroit Lions (2021-22)

Boyle signed a one-year deal with the Lions just days after his release from the Packers. He began the season on injured reserve, but was activated in November once Jared Goff went down with an injury. He made three starts for the team, all resulting in losses. 

He signed a one-year extension in the 2022 offseason to stay in Detroit. Boyle was released in late August, but then subsequently re-signed to the team's practice squad. 

Chicago Bears (2022)

In late November of the 2022 season, the Bears signed Boyle off the Lions' practice squad. He made just one appearance in Chicago before leaving in free agency. 

MORE: Why was Zach Wilson benched?

New York Jets (2023)

This past offseason, Boyle signed the Jets. He was released, and then signed to the practice squad in August before eventually earning a promotion to the active roster in mid-September. 

He replaced Wilson in the Jets' blowout loss to the Bills in Week 11. The next day, Saleh announced that Boyle would get the start against the Dolphins on Black Friday, his first start since 2021 and only his fourth in the NFL.