Nick Boyle spent eight seasons with the Ravens at the tight end spot, becoming one of the league’s best blockers at that position. However, with his career now at a crossroads, he is attempting to make a name for himself at a different one.
Boyle recently attended Maryland’s pro day as a long snapper, the position at which he is now trying to make an NFL return, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Boyle played as a long snapper at the high school level, so it isn’t an entirely unfamiliar role, but his goal is still a noteworthy one.
Drafted in the fifth round in 2015, Boyle started 53 of 90 appearances in Baltimore. He never totaled more than 31 receptions, 321 yards or two touchdowns in a campaign, but was instrumental in the team’s run game as a strong blocking presence. His career took a turn for the worse in November 2020 when he suffered a massive knee injury from which he has not been able to effectively recover.
Boyle has made 17 appearances and just three starts over the past two seasons, and the Delaware product’s offensive role dropped considerably. That made it little surprise when the Ravens released him in January, a move which allowed him to pursue the opportunity to land a roster spot as a long snapper. Baltimore has had Nick Moore at the LS spot for the past two years, and he is under contract through 2024. Boyle will thus need to catch on with a new team if he is to extend his career.
The latter has more than $25.7M in career earnings from his time with the Ravens, particularly due to a three-year, $18M deal he signed in 2019. His financial prospects would look far worse at the long snapper spot, since the position has only one member currently averaging over $1.5M per season. If Boyle can land a training camp spot to compete for the snapping role somewhere, though, he will give himself the opportunity to begin an interesting second chapter in his playing career.
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