Bengals Roster: Realistic expectations for Tyler Boyd in 2023

With the 55th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals selected Tyler Boyd out of Pittsburgh. By the third year of his career, Boyd was a legitimate weapon in the Bengals' offense, tallying 1,028 yards and seven touchdowns off of 76 receptions in 14 games during the 2018 season.

Boyd followed that up with another stellar performance, notching 90 receptions for 1,046 yards and five trips into the end zone. Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins joined the offense the next year but Boyd, who had signed a four-year extension, still played well garnering 890 yards of offense and four touchdowns.

In 2021, the Bengals spent the fifth overall pick on Ja'Marr Chase despite already having Boyd and Higgins at receiver. While Chase has absolutely been worth the selection, it's unfortunately led to Boyd having a decreased role in the offense.

In 2021, Boyd finished with 850 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns and in 2022, he had 762 yards and five touchdowns. It might not look like declined production but considering he was once a 1,000-yard receiver, it is. Boyd is still easily the best WR3 in the league, however.

What should Bengals fans expect from Tyler Boyd in 2023?

This is the final year of Boyd's contract so he has plenty of incentives to ball out in 2023. Unfortunately, as mentioned above, he's the third wide receiver on the depth chart so that's not exactly a guarantee for him. Boyd has proved himself pivotal to this offense, however, as once he went down in the AFC title game, the offense was missing him badly.

Boyd is probably going to be good for anywhere between 600 and 800 yards and will likely score three to five touchdowns in what very well could be his final season in the orange and black stripes. Even if he was willing to take less money to stay in Cincinnati, the Bengals simply might not be able to keep him considering they have to pay Burrow, Chase, and Higgins this year and next year. Plus, he'll turn 30 during the 2024 season.

Bengals fans can count on Tyler Boyd to be a reliable pass-catcher when he is on the gridiron though and hopefully, if the Bengals can't re-sign him, he has an incredible season and can make bank somewhere else.