Veteran wide receiver Tyler Boyd is expected to test free agency, especially as the Cincinnati Bengals turn their focus on fellow receiver Tee Higgins, league sources tell FanBuzz.
Boyd, 29, is coming off a strong 2023 campaign that saw him catch 67 passes for 667 yards with a pair of touchdowns, despite wildly inconsistent quarterback play after Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending injury back in November.
According to Pro Football Focus, Bengals quarterbacks posted an 83 passer rating on Boyd's 91 targets, and he averaged 4.3 yards after the catch per reception.
Multiple sources suggest Boyd will have a strong market when free agency begins in March.
Through the first eight seasons of his career, Boyd has caught 513 passes for 6,000 yards with 31 touchdowns.
Stream the NFL on CBS live all season long on Paramount+. Try it FREE!
Spotrac projects that Boyd could be in line to fetch a three-year contract, in the area of $8.7 million annually. However, given the rising value of wide receivers around the league, and teams looking for steady veterans at the position, Boyd could find a more lucrative contract on the open-market.
The fact that Boyd is as reliable a slot receiver as there is in the NFL with the frame to be a consistent run-blocker at the position, make him a marketable option for teams with cap space to spend this offseason.
Cincinnati enters the offseason with approximately $59.4 million in cap space, but with Higgins, Boyd, defensive tackle D.J. Reader, cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, and right tackle Jonah Williams all among the Bengals' impending unrestricted free agents.
NFL free agency is set to get underway when the new league-year begins on March 13, 2024.
