Tyler Boyd gets shipped off midseason
Oh, boy, I can already tell people won't like this one. Unfortunately, it almost feels inevitable at this point.
Although it didn't ever feel like a reality this off-season, many were speculating and even suggesting that the Bengals cut Tyler Boyd. It might sound blasphemous because Boyd has become a fan favorite since being picked all the way back in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft, but, as Stripe Hype's own Leigh Oleszczak explains in this article, it makes sense. He's a WR3 going into a contract year carrying a $10+ million cap hit, and it would save $8.8 million is cap space to release/trade him.
While I think he'll start this season as a Bengal, I don't think he'll finish it in stripes. The Bengals' front office isn't exactly known for making trades in the middle of the season, but I think they do it here and they either move Irwin to WR3 or draft his replacement and slowly integrate him into the offense until Boyd is traded.
No matter what happens, at this point in time, Boyd's departure feels imminent, whether it happens during this off-season, during the regular season, or they simply don't re-sign him once his contract is up following the 2023 season, many Bengal fans who have grown to love Boyd over the years are simply going to have to get comfortable and used to the idea of him not playing in black-and-orange uniforms anymore.