QB Tim Boyle will make his second consecutive start for the Jets and the fourth start of his career Sunday when Green & White host the Falcons at MetLife Stadium. With QB Aaron Rodgers back at One Jets Drive, the return of Boyle's close friend and future Hall of Famer has given the young signal-caller an added boast.
"It is nice having Aaron back," Boyle said. "Like the quarterbacks were saying, Aaron hasn't skipped a beat. You could tell his presence was missed, but today it was the same happy and joking individual who brings a lot of wisdom and energy to this offense. We are grateful to have him back."
Rodgers, who underwent surgery on Sept. 14 to repair a torn Achilles tendon he sustained in the Jets' season opener vs. the Bills, returned to practice Wednesday in a limited capacity. The four-time MVP's presence elevated the spirits of the team and in particular Boyle, a teammate of Rodgers while they were in Green Bay from 2019-20.
"Aaron keeps me loose," Boyle said. "We know each other well. He knows how to sense my energy and when to keep it light with me. But I think the cool thing with Aaron is that he brings so much wisdom. Aaron going into 40-years-old, and he looks great by the way, and I know his birthday is coming up, but he just brings so much wisdom and confidence the QB room. He tries to make me think the next level."
Boyle, who made his first start for the Jets in their Black Friday 34-13 loss to Miami, went 27-for-28 (71%) for 179 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Rodgers wore a headset on the sideline during the game and helped Boyle make real-time adjustments.
In the fourth quarter, Boyle and the offense began to find a groove. The offense delivered 10 first downs in the final frame and Boyle completed 19-of-26 attempts for 136 yards and a 1-yard touchdown pass to WR Garrett Wilson.
"Obviously the score was not what we wanted, but that fourth quarter I think we were moving the ball and finding completions," Boyle said. "We were no huddle and guys were catching the ball. I was seeing it well and I think that is something to build off, continuing to get completions. I want to see us run the ball well and I want to see us take some shots. It is going to be a fun one."
HC Robert Saleh added of Boyle: "I want him to take the things he did well last game in Miami and build on those. He needs to learn from the mistakes and find ways to eliminate those. But he did do a lot of good things. I want him to find a way to build on that and get better and distribute the ball when and where it needs to be distributed."
While limited at practice, Rodgers didn't miss a beat in the meetings. Back like he never left he quizzed his teammates and shared tips and experience that could better prepare Boyle for Sunday.
Boyle, in his fifth season from the University of Connecticut where he started 19 games over 3 seasons, appreciates the help from Rodgers and feels more comfortable ahead of his second Jets' start.
"I think there are small details in every play where Aaron is on another level of thinking," Boyle said "With that, he challenges me to think about it and challenges all of us to think about. Definitely something I can apply to games. We had a couple of conversation last week about the smallest little details. And they actually came up during the game and we applied it.
"Whenever you can play game reps, those are critical. I am grateful I spent two years in Green Bay in this system and [OC Nathaniel] Hackett has been awesome makings sure I am comfortable with it. So, today at practice things came to me a little bit quicker."
