Green Bay Packers: Tim Boyle Not Tendered, Jordan Love Up as QB2

By next Wednesday, when the new league year begins, the Green Bay Packers — along with the rest of the NFL — have to either tender or non-tender their restricted free agents.

For those wondering, a restricted free agent (RFA) is a player with 3 years of accrued NFL experience, and that player is free to negotiate with other teams. If tendered, the player is designated either a first round, second round, original round, or right of first refusal tender, which allows the current team to match any offer the player receives from another team.

However, if they choose not to match an incoming offer, then the current team receives the tender they assigned the player as compensation—not including the right of first refusal.

When it comes to the Green Bay Packers, they have a few RFAs, one of which included backup quarterback Tim Boyle. But as Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported, the Packers will not be tendering Boyle—thus making him an unrestricted free agent.

So you know what that means then, right? Jordan Love is now QB2.

While Boyle is beloved by many in Green Bay, this shouldn’t come as a shock either. Boyle was the backup all last season while Love was inactive for every game, but it’s now time for Love to take that next step in his journey to becoming a starting quarterback.

He may still be behind Aaron Rodgers, but in training camp and in the preseason, Love will get valuable QB2 reps, something he didn’t get in 2020. These added reps are going to be a crucial part of his development.

During his meeting with the Packers media last week, offensive coordinator Nathanial Hackett reiterated just how important practice time is for Love at this point in his career (via Pro Football Talk):

"“Even just being able to get out there and practice — I mean, that’s huge. So I think for him, it’s just growing more in the offensive system, even more than he already has. Just making it his own. … Obviously, we’re very excited if we can be able to practice because I think that’s something he needs. The last time he was able to really get after the practices was in training camp. So if that’s kind of what we’re dealt, then it’ll be training camp when he can really make some strides and get those full-time, speed reps. Besides that, it’s about studying and he’s got to work on his own because we don’t get to see him.”"

There is still a chance that Boyle can be brought back, but it seems unlikely as well. If the Green Bay Packers really want Love to progress — which of course they do — he needs to take this next step with the added reps and responsibilities.