Getty Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd.
It wouldn’t hurt for the Kansas City Chiefs to add another talented veteran to their wide receiver room. Along with potentially being an immediate producer, a player with experience at the NFL level could also help mentor some of Kansas City’s younger pass catchers such as Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore, and Rashee Rice.
Though DeAndre Hopkins has been a name frequently linked to Chiefs Kingdom this offseason as a potential trade candidate, another veteran that could be a solid option for Kansas City in the trade market is Cincinnati Bengals receiver, Tyler Boyd. He was named by Enzo Flojo of ClutchPoints as one of four players that could help round out the Chiefs’ 2023 roster.
“His precise route-running ability and reliable hands make him a reliable target in both short and intermediate passing situations,” Flojo wrote on May 22. “Moreover, Boyd’s proficiency as a blocker adds another dimension to his game, making him a valuable asset in the Chiefs’ offensive scheme. Acquiring Boyd would not only bolster the Chiefs’ receiving corps but also provide a cost-effective solution to enhance offensive versatility.”
Tyler Boyd a Reliable NFL Receiver
Tyler Boyd, 28, was a second-round pick by the Bengals in 2016. Since then, he has been a reliable target for whoever has been under center in Cincinnati.
Over the last seven seasons, Boyd caught 446 passes on 655 targets (68.1 percent catch rate) and accumulated 5,333 receiving yards and 29 touchdowns according to Pro Football Reference. During his time in the NFL, Boyd has never played less than 10 games in a season and has only missed 11 games in his entire career.
Boyd is in the final year of his four-year, $43 million extension with the Bengals, which carries a $10.3 million cap hit in 2023 according to Over The Cap.
Tyler Boyd a Sensible Trade Option for Bengals & Chiefs
Boyd is part of an elite receiver room in Cincinnati that also includes All-Pro Ja’Marr Chase and third-year player Tee Higgins, both of which are coming off of 1,000-yard seasons. Boyd on the other hand registered 762 receiving yards last season.
Higgins’ rookie contract expires after the 2023 season, and Chase’s expires in 2024. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on SportsCenter on May 23 that the Bengals want to give Higgins an extension, but only after they give quarterback Joe Burrow an extension.
Because of the team’s plans to extend Higgins and Burrow while also presumably giving Chase an extension at some point in 2024, Boyd has become an expendable piece of the Bengals’ roster. So, it would be wise of them to get compensation for him via a trade prior to the November trade deadline, otherwise, Boyd will walk during free agency next offseason and Cincinnati will be left empty-handed.
Though the Chiefs would need to free up a chunk of cap space before they acquired him, Kansas City’s front office could trade for Boyd and then sign him to an extension, which could lower his $10.3 million cap hit for the 2023 season and keep him under contract for several more seasons.
Boyd has been primarily a slot receiver during his time in the NFL, so the Chiefs could free up a roster spot for him by cutting Richie James. James signed with Kansas City this offseason as a slot receiver option, but the Chiefs would only take on $552,000 in dead money if they were to cut him in 2023, per OTC.