SAD NEWS: Bengals Are About To  miss One Of Ther Best Player Due TO…

Now that Tee Higgins has signed his franchise tender, the focus shifts to when Ja’Marr Chase will get a new deal. Yet, we can’t help but think that the Cincinnati Bengals might miss the veteran play and leadership of Tyler Boyd to help with this transitional period while also aiding in the team’s success in 2024.

There are still available options that could fit that idea. Unfortunately, the perfect candidate to fill that role is now doing so in Tennessee. And the Bengals might miss Boyd more than they realize.

Why the Bengals might miss Boyd

Higgins is likely to go the way of Jessie Bates last year. The talented receiver can play under the tag and become a free agent in 2025. Chase’s incoming massive deal is part of why Higgins does not have the new contract he desires. Chase’s deal likely will be equal to, if not greater than, the one Justin Jefferson received from the Vikings. This financial reality is also part of why Boyd is now with the Titans.

Boyd is often underestimated and overlooked. The Cincinnati Bengals were frequently mentioned as having one of, if not the best, trios of wide receivers in the NFL. However, when people speak of the best wide receivers in the NFL, Chase and Higgins are often evoked, while Boyd is left off that distinguished list.

Thought of by some as a first-rounder, the Bengals selected the star Pitt Panther with the 55th overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft. He was an integral part of Cincinnati’s team from that point on until this offseason.

Boyd led the 2018 team in receptions, yards, and touchdowns and was the lone offensive bright spot in an otherwise miserable 2019 season when he once again recorded team highs in receptions (90), yards (1,046), and receiving touchdowns (5). It was the second consecutive season the underrated wideout surpassed 1,000 receiving yards. He followed that up by pacing the team in receptions in 2020, Joe Burrow’s rookie campaign.

More recently, Boyd, not Higgins, finished second in receptions and yards in the 2023 season. Boyd was the only Cincinnati receiver who played in all 17 games last year. And amongst the star trio, Boyd’s 68.4% catch percentage finished second to Chase’s 69% and ahead of Higgins’ 55.3%.