Jets waive QB Boyle after 2 starts, source says

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Two days ago, Tim Boyle was the New York Jets‘ starting quarterback. Now he’s off the team.

Continuing the quarterback carousel, the Jets waived Boyle on Tuesday and will fill his spot on the roster by signing Brett Rypien from the Seattle Seahawks‘ practice squad, a source confirmed. CBS Sports first reported the moves.

Coach Robert Saleh still hasn’t named his starter for Sunday against the Houston Texans. The other two quarterbacks on the roster are Zach Wilson, the likely choice, and Trevor Siemian.

The Boyle era, so to speak, lasted two starts. After beginning the season on the practice squad, he climbed the depth chart in the aftermath of Aaron Rodgers‘ Week 1 Achilles injury. Desperate for a spark, Saleh started Boyle in Week 12, benching Wilson.

In two starts, Boyle completed 41 of 63 passes for 327 yards, 1 touchdown and 4 interceptions. One of the interceptions was the infamous “Fail Mary” against the Miami Dolphins — a Hail Mary that was returned 99 yards for a touchdown.

Saleh didn’t directly criticize Boyle after Sunday’s 13-8 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, but he was clearly unhappy. Boyle, replaced in the fourth quarter by Siemian, was pulled after a third-quarter interception. Afterward, Saleh said there were “a lot of missed opportunities” in the passing game — a veiled reference to Boyle’s inability to find open receivers.

On Monday, Saleh said he did “some good things,” but he reiterated the missed chances and added, “But at the end of the day, we’ve got to score points, we got to find something to get the ball in the end zone.”

The Jets (4-8) have lost five straight, with only 45 points scored over that span.

Boyle, who had previous ties to Rodgers and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, became the first of the Rodgers-connected players to be released from the team. Others, namely wide receivers Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb, also have disappointed.

The Jets tried to sign Rypien in September, after Rodgers was injured Sept. 11. But on Sept. 13, Rypien was promoted by the Los Angeles Rams from the practice squad to the active roster. He started one game for the Rams (a loss), got cut and landed on the Seahawks’ practice squad Nov. 10.

Rypien, too, has a Hackett connection; he played under Hackett last season with the Denver Broncos. For his career, Rypien is 2-2 as a starter (including a win over the Jets, with a 58% completion rate, 950 yards, 4 touchdowns and 9 interceptions.