The latest free-agent addition to the Green & White was a quarterback from the NFC North. QB Tim Boyle, most recently having played with the Chicago Bears in 2022, signed with the team earlier this month.
"Yeah, it happened pretty quick but just having my friends and family around me being from the Northeast is wonderful and obviously, you know, being in a wonderful organization like this," Boyle said about joining the Jets. "I'm just thrilled and being around my people here, Coach [Nathaniel] Hackett, obviously I've had a couple years with him, Allen Lazard, Adam Pankey, just the familiarity is going to be wonderful. I'm just excited to help build up the culture."
Boyle returns to the Northeast after growing up in Connecticut and playing three seasons at the University of Connecticut before transferring to Eastern Kentucky University. Upon graduating from EKU, Boyle signed with the Packers in 2018 as an UDFA. Boyle went on to play for the Detroit Lions in 2021, and the Bears last season. After playing four years in the NFC North, Boyle is excited to be a part of a new conference.
"It's definitely interesting," Boyle said about the changing conferences. "I had my fair share of kind of rotating teams up there in the NFC North, I'm glad to be out of the NFC right now and just kind of spread my wings a little bit and be around some different people, but it's going to be nice. Like I said, just be back in the northeast, be around my people, and I'm glad that I get to take the next step in my career."
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While with the Packers, Boyle played all three seasons under OC Nathaniel Hackett. The pair will be reunited this offseason and Boyle is looking to furthering his career under Hackett's coaching.
"Coach Hackett is a unique individual," said Boyle. "As everyone knows around here, he's just super authentic, he's himself, and I'm drawn to that. I like people who are themselves and that are authentic. He's a wonderful coach and I feel like I'm a wonderful quarterback when I'm around him. I actually just saw him last night and it's just great to get reacquainted with him because he's such a high energy guy, a family guy, and I really respect that."
As for what the QB learned while playing with QB Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, Boyle thinks that he would not be the same player he is today without Rodgers' tutelage.
"Those were special three years for me," Boyle said of his time playing with the four-time MVP. "I really feel like my game went from, you know, pretty mediocre to being much better as a quarterback from just being around Aaron and just surrounding yourself with really good people. Aaron's a mentor of mine and a really good friend of mine still to this day. I'm grateful for that friendship, but Aaron's a special quarterback and a special person and I'm looking forward to his future."
Boyle joins a Jets quarterback room with Zach Wilson and Chris Streveler, and hopes that his influence with the QBs helps the organization win more games this coming season.
"I'm going to be positive, upbeat, and I'm going to compete but ultimately, it's about winning games. I think you know, deeper than football, it's about relationships," he said. "I feel like having quality people in the locker room and in the quarterback room is going to be critical to helping his organization win and hopefully I can contribute to that."
