Report: Detroit Lions QB Tim Boyle to miss 6-8 weeks after thumb surgery

Detroit Lions quarterback Tim Boyle is expected to be out between six and eight weeks, according to a report from NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

Boyle, who was projected to be Detroit’s backup quarterback behind Jared Goff, injured the thumb on his throwing hand in the team’s final preseason game last Friday. Per head coach Dan Campbell, he underwent surgery on that thumb on Monday.

The six-to-eight week timeline is actually fairly good news for Boyle considering the Lions believed it was possible the surgery could’ve been a season-ender.

“He may be out for a while, but we don’t know how long that’s going to be,” Campbell said on Monday. “They couldn’t give us an exact—it was one of those broad windows that cover every aspect. It was one of those, ‘Hey, it’s two weeks to a freakin’ year.’”

That leaves David Blough to be the team’s backup for the first month or two of the season. In the meantime, it seems likely that Boyle will make Detroit’s initial 53-man roster, then be placed on injured reserve. Remember, due to new rules in the COVID-19 era, players can return from IR in just three weeks. The Lions could also waive/injure Boyle, but that would risk him being claimed by another team.

With only two healthy quarterbacks on the roster, don’t be surprised if the Lions bring a quarterback in, whether it be on their 53-man roster or on the practice squad. Just two weeks ago, the Lions signed Jordan Ta’amu for a week while Boyle and Blough were dealing with injuries.