With Tee Higgins now having signed his franchise tender, attention is now focused on Ja’Marr Chase’s next contract extension. However, we can’t help but believe that Tyler Boyd’s seasoned play and leadership would be missed by the Cincinnati Bengals, which would be unfortunate given his ability to help the team succeed in 2024 as well as during this transitional phase.
There are still choices that might work with that concept. Regretfully, the ideal person to take on that post is currently serving in Tennessee. Furthermore, the Bengals may underestimate how much they miss Boyd.
Why the Bengals might miss Boyd
Higgins will probably end up like Jessie Bates did last year. The gifted receiver is eligible to play with a tag and can sign a free agent contract in 2025. Part of the reason Higgins does not have the new contract he wants is because of Chase’s impending big deal. Chase’s contract will probably match the Vikings’ offer to Justin Jefferson, if not exceed it. Boyd’s current affiliation with the Titans is partly due to this financial realities.
Boyd is frequently disregarded and undervalued. One of the best wide receiver trios in the NFL, if not the best, was often cited as belonging to the Cincinnati Bengals. However, Boyd is rarely mentioned when discussing the top wide receivers in the NFL, with Chase and Higgins coming to mind.
The standout Pitt Panther was chosen by the Bengals with the 55th overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft, despite some people believing he was a first-round pick. From then until this offseason, he was a vital member of Cincinnati’s squad.
In an otherwise dismal 2019 season, Boyd was the only offensive bright light as he again set team records for receptions (90), yards (1,046), and receiving touchdowns (5). Boyd led the team in receptions, yards, and touchdowns in 2018. The underappreciated wide receiver surpassed 1,000 receiving yards for the second straight season. Subsequently, he led the team in receptions during Joe Burrow’s debut season in 2020.
More recently, in the 2023 season, Boyd—not Higgins—finished second in terms of receptions and yards. The lone receiver from Cincinnati to play in all 17 games the previous season was Boyd. Boyd’s 68.4% catch percentage was the highest among the three stars, surpassing both Higgins’ 55.3% and Chase’s 69%.
Boyd never posed a difficulty in terms of the dynamic inside the team. For the Bengals, he was their first, second, and, more recently, third choice. He never voiced any complaints during his time there, even though he was the team’s third player and number one option at one point. His unselfishness was the key to handling that.
Boyd recently said, “Coming here with Ridley and Hop, I’m kind of familiar with being in a room full of playmakers,” in an interview with Sirius XM. Guys who can just go out there and play without any hesitation. However, I believe that simply being selfless is what matters most to the entire group. Men turning it into a more familial affair and
Boyd said to Sirius that he is aware of what it takes to support a rookie quarterback and have a productive receiver corps. Additionally, I am aware that Will Levis may have overreached himself in his actions. However, he now has playmakers. He has dudes. He can, in my opinion, ease up a little and simply depend more on his playmakers. Ultimately, though, he is still getting to know the offense.
Boyd’s speechmaking in Tennessee will be limited. Just like in Cincinnati, he’ll let his performance do the talking. Despite the fact that the Titans have a strong receiving group that includes Treylon Burks, DeAndre Hopkins, and Calvin Ridley, there’s no doubt that he will be a leader in the locker room and a productive player on the field, just as he was with the Bengals.
On the field, Boyd’s leadership is clearly showing results. “You [the other receivers] might brain fart a little bit, and you might not know what you’re doing,” he said to reporters. The fact that I am here is a plus. I can sort of read players on the field and let them know what they have. For Boyd, it was a win-win situation.
Cincinnati selected Jermaine Burton in the third round of the 2024 draft, addressing the need for a wideout. However, it would have been good to have another seasoned receiver like Boyd to assist navigate this period for the Bengals on the field and in the locker room, especially with Higgins’ virtually inevitable exit the next offseason and a potential contract issue with Chase looming.
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