Tim Boyle will start Sunday, possibly also playing Thanksgiving game between Detroit Lions’ QB line, sources say

Detroit Lion midfielder Tim Boyle will make his first NFL start Sunday in Cleveland against Brown as Jared Goff Sources from the league tell ESPN continuing to recover from the oblique injury.

It’s thought it’s unlikely Goff will be rehabilitated in time for Detroit’s Thanksgiving Day game against Chicago Bears, leaving Boyle with another chance to start the Lions.

The Lions have yet to settle on what will happen if Boyle plays well, but there is belief around the league that Detroit’s quarterback situation for this season and beyond is highly variable.

Detroit awarded Boyle a one-year, $2.5 million contract, including a $1 million signing bonus, with the idea likely to try him out for a starting job.

Boyle impressed in training camp but broke his thumb and was absent for the next eight weeks. He has only recently returned to training and is still not as sharp as before, but the Lions are impressed with his intelligence and attitude.

When asked last week about Boyle, Lions head coach Dan Campbell replied: “Let me say this about Tim Boyle – he lacks confidence, I can tell you that.”

Boyle, when asked how he would approach Sunday’s game, said: “I’ll meditate, I’ll breathe, talk to my family, I’ll study and go to sleep, easy. That’s football. I’ve been playing football since then. I’m 6 years old.”

But the Lions’ midfield options also extend well beyond Boyle. If he struggles all day Sunday, the Lions can move on David Blough, who will act as the No. 2 midfielder, is very popular among his teammates and a favorite in the organization.

The Lions are expected to have two first-round draft picks next year, so they’ll likely have a chance to tackle quarterback by that time as well. But with Goff sidelined, Boyle will now have the chance to further impress the Lions and continue his original job.

Boyle, 27, spent three seasons with Green Bay Packers. He appeared in eight games last season but made no attempt to break through.