Cincinnati — Tyler Boyd has caught 513 passes for the Cincinnati Bengals. And one of his most unforgettable experiences involved none of them.
In 2019, Boyd began cramping in the waning seconds of a Week 16 game against the Miami Dolphins. If Boyd had stayed down and been unable to reach the line of scrimmage, a necessary 10-second run-off would have terminated the game and Cincinnati’s hopes of a miraculous comeback.
So Boyd crawled across the field, staggered to his feet, and lined up just in time for the Bengals to stop the clock and set up a game-tying touchdown and two-point convert at the end of regulation.
The Bengals ultimately lost in overtime, cementing their title as the NFL’s worst club in 2019. However, that play demonstrated how important Boyd may be even without receiving a touchdown ball. It’s one of the ways he’s demonstrated leadership since joining the Bengals in 2016 as a second-round draft pick.
However, that tenure could come to an end shortly. Boyd, 29, is set to hit free agency, making his future as a Bengal uncertain. But his contribution to the franchise’s revival is undeniable.Boyd was instrumental in laying the groundwork for Cincinnati’s transformation from the NFL’s poorest team to a title contender.
It’s one of the reasons why Bengals quarterback Jake Browning, whose locker is adjacent to Boyd’s, interrupted Boyd’s season-ending media scrum.
“We definitely have a lot of skill in the receiver room,” said Browning, who started the last seven games of the season after Joe Burrow tore a ligament in his right wrist. “But a big, unheralded hero in the locker room. I hope he is back. But wherever he goes, someone will be fortunate to have him.”
Boyd began the season as the longest-tenured player on the squad. His breakout moment occurred in the 2017 season finale against the Baltimore Ravens, when he grabbed the game-winning touchdown pass.
The former Pitt standout is one of four players that preceded coach Zac Taylor’s arrival in 2019, along with running back Joe Mixon, defensive tackle Josh Tupou, and defensive end Sam Hubbard.
Boyd played an important role in Taylor’s efforts to change the franchise and develop a winning culture, from spreading the coaching staff’s message across the locker room to setting an example for others, including young receivers Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase.
Boyd’s primary characteristics, a positive attitude and everyday constancy, were critical for establishing the culture that Taylor desired.
“He’s one of those players who, through thick and thin, says, ‘Whatever you need from me, coach,'” Taylor said in May 2023. “He has always been an excellent locker room leader. He’s always been someone I can go to and trust that I’ll get an honest reaction about how things are going.”
When Boyd arrived, A.J. Green was still in the middle of his reign as the team’s top receiver. Boyd led the club in receptions in 2018 and 2019, while Green was injured. When Cincinnati drafted Higgins in 2020 and Chase a year later, Boyd’s position in the offense shrank substantially.
However, Boyd never complained about a shortage of targets. Instead, he pointed the road forward for the two emerging stars.
“With each one of those guys joining the team, his touches went down, and he kind of set the tone that it wasn’t a ‘I gotta get mine’ type of receiver room,” Browning explained. “And I believe that is an undervalued element of the room in general.”
Boyd totaled 513 receptions, 6,000 yards, and 31 touchdowns over eight seasons. At his peak, he was regarded as one of the league’s most sure-handed receivers. Between 2020 and 2022, he had four regular-season dips, which matched his total in 2023.
With Burrow signed to a large extension and Chase and Higgins also available for new contracts, Boyd may be too expensive for a Bengals team seeking to control the salary cap.
In that situation, Cincinnati will not only have to replace their starting slot receiver, but also fill a significant leadership hole.
The type of leadership that was demonstrated versus Miami in 2019.
“I was just eager to do whatever I could to assist the team win,” Boyd explained. “That’s what was on the tape.”
