The general manager of the Green Bay Packers doesn’t want to entertain the thought of Aaron Rodgers suffering an injury and missing games, but Brian Gutekunst remains confident his team could win regular-season games with quarterback Tim Boyle, who must be considered the favorite to back up Rodgers to start the 2020 season.
Boyle has made a strong impression to start his third year in the NFL.
“With Aaron back there, you kind of hope you never have to go that route, but if we did, I feel very confident we can win games with Tim Boyle,” Gutekunst said Friday.
Boyle, an undrafted free agent who has been on the roster each of the last two seasons, won the job as the top backup to Rodgers over DeShone Kizer last season but didn’t start a game as the Packers went 13-3 and advanced to the NFC title game. Now, he’s spending his summer competing with Jordan Love, the team’s first-round draft choice and the likely future at quarterback after Rodgers.
Boyle won’t get a preseason to impress Gutekunst and his staff, but the Packers already see an improving player who will be hard for Love to displace as a rookie.
“I think Tim has done an outstanding job,” Gutekunst said. “He has continued to grow. He’s had a really, really good start. I think we expected that. Tim has a lot of talent. I think his future is really bright here.”
The Packers are still three weeks away from playing the Minnesota Vikings in the season opener, but Boyle looks entrenched as the top backup and a great bet to make the Week 1 roster. Having a No. 2 quarterback with experience in Matt LaFleur’s offense could allow the Packers to take it slow with Love’s development.
Boyle might not be the future of the franchise at the game’s most important position, but the Packers are still happy to have him.
“We’re excited about him,” Gutekunst said. “He’s taken every opportunity he’s had so far this year and really grown from where he was last year, and I thought last year was pretty good. He’s proven himself day in and day out. Glad we have him.”
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