 Boyd with theCincinnati Bengals in 2020 | |||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Wide receiver | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1994-11-15)November 15, 1994 (age 31) Clairton, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 203 lb (92 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Clairton | ||||||||
| College | Pittsburgh (2013–2015) | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 2016: 2nd round, 55th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Tyler Alexander Boyd (born November 15, 1994) is an American professionalfootballwide receiver. He playedcollege football for thePittsburgh Panthers, and was selected by theCincinnati Bengals in the second round of the2016 NFL draft. He has also played for theTennessee Titans.
Boyd attendedClairton High School inClairton, Pennsylvania, where he finished hishigh school football career ranking among the most productive performers in Western Pennsylvania history.[1] He set a WPIAL record with 117 careertouchdowns and finished as the fifth-leading rusher inWPIAL annals with 5,755 yards. He played diverse roles (running back,wide receiver,quarterback,defensive back, andpunt returner) for Clairton, which went 48–0 in his three years as a starter and 63–1 (.984) in his four varsity seasons and won four WPIAL and four PIAA Class A titles. As a senior, Boyd rushed for 2,584 yards and 43 touchdowns, had 295 yards receiving on just 13 catches and led the WPIAL in scoring with 51 total touchdowns and 345 points. Boyd was selected to play in theBig 33 Football Classic (Western Pennsylvania vs. Eastern Ohio) and was named the game's MVP after accounting for five touchdowns (91-yard kick return, 68-yard halfback option pass, four-yard run and scoring catches of 16 and five yards). Boyd also playedbasketball at Clairton, helping lead the Bears to the WPIAL Class A title game and the PIAA playoffs as a senior, and was abaseball letterman as well.
Following his senior season, Boyd was selected to play in the2013 U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio's Alamodome, where he announced his decision to attend theUniversity of Pittsburgh during NBC's live telecast. He was named to theRivals 250 (No. 103) andESPN 300 (No. 165) national prospect lists. He was rated as the No. 6 overall prospect in the state ofPennsylvania byRivals.com and No. 8 byScout.com, as well as the nation's No. 12 wide receiver according to both.
In 2013 as atrue freshman, Boyd was the nation's most productive freshman receiver, setting Pitt freshman records forreceptions with 85 and receiving yards with 1,174,[2] both of which were previously held byLarry Fitzgerald (who had 69 catches for 1,005 yards in 2002). He had five 100-yard receiving games, topping Fitzgerald's freshman school-record total of four, and also set theAtlantic Coast Conference (ACC) record for receptions as a freshman, topping the mark held by Clemson'sSammy Watkins (82 catches in 2011).
Boyd was named ACC Rookie of the Week,247Sports National True Freshman of the Week, andAthlon Sports National Co-Freshman of the Week for his performance in Pitt's 58–55 win atDuke, where he had eight catches for 154 yards (19.3 avg.) and a career-high three touchdowns. In a 49–27 win againstNew Mexico, he compiled 134 receiving yards on six catches (22.3 avg.), including a dazzling 34-yard touchdown grab in the back of theend zone on the final play of the first half; he also rushed for a 33-yard score against the Lobos, earning ACC Receiver of the Week and 247Sports National True Freshman of the Week honors for his performance. Boyd was known for making several highlight reel plays because of his hands and awareness for the sideline that helped him being selected All-ACC by the league's media (second team) and coaches (third team) as well as a Freshman All-American by Athlon,CollegeFootballNews.com,Football Writers Association of America (FWAA),Phil Steele,Sporting News, 247Sports, andECAC Offensive Rookie of the Year. Boyd capped the 2013 season with a magnificent performance in the2013 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, compiling 242 all-purpose yards to help the Panthers defeatBowling Green, 30–27; he had eight catches for a career-high 173 yards (21.6 avg.) and added a spectacular 54-yard punt return for a touchdown in the bowl victory. Boyd's receiving yardage against the Falcons set a Pitt bowl record, surpassing the 36-year-old mark of 163 set byGordon Jones in the 1977 Gator Bowl against Clemson, while his punt return touchdown was Pitt's first sinceDarrelle Revis had a 73-yarder against West Virginia in 2006.[3] Boyd's postseason performance earned himUSA TODAY All-Bowl Team recognition.
| 2013 season breakdown | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Receiving | Rushing | |||||||||||
| Date | Opponent | Result | Rec | Yards | Avg | Long | TDs | Att | Yards | Avg | Long | TDs |
| 9/2 | Florida State | L 13–41 | 2 | 26 | 13.0 | 17 | 0 | 3 | 54 | 18.0 | 20 | 0 |
| 9/14 | New Mexico | W 49–27 | 6 | 134 | 22.3 | 51 | 1 | 2 | 39 | 19.5 | 33 | 1 |
| 9/21 | @Duke | W 58–55 | 8 | 154 | 19.3 | 69 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9/28 | Virginia | W 14–3 | 7 | 111 | 15.9 | 37 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 2.5 | 4 | 0 |
| 10/12 | @Virginia Tech | L 19–9 | 2 | 20 | 10.0 | 51 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 3 | 0 |
| 10/19 | Old Dominion | W 35–24 | 6 | 46 | 7.7 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 5 | 0 |
| 10/26 | @Navy | L 24–21 | 3 | 35 | 11.7 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1+1⁄2 | @Georgia Tech | L 21–10 | 11 | 118 | 10.7 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11/9 | Notre Dame | W 28–21 | 8 | 85 | 10.6 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 8 | 0 |
| 11/16 | North Carolina | L 34–27 | 5 | 92 | 18.4 | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11/23 | @Syracuse | W 17–16 | 10 | 82 | 8.2 | 16 | 0 | 1 | −6 | −6.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11/29 | Miami (FL) | L 41–31 | 9 | 98 | 10.9 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12/26 | vs.Bowling Green | W 30–27 | 8 | 173 | 21.6 | 62 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 totals | 85 | 1,174 | 13.8 | 62 | 7 | 11 | 108 | 9.8 | 33 | 1 | ||
In his second year at Pitt, Boyd made an impact as a wide receiver and return man. He finished the season with 78 catches for 1,261 yards (16.2 avg.) and eight touchdowns.[4] Boyd's 78 catches rank third on Pitt's single-season list, while his 1,261 receiving yards rank fourth. He totaled six 100-yard receiving games on the year, ranked second in the ACC and 17th nationally with an average of 97.0 receiving yards per game and third in the ACC and 32nd nationally with an average of 6.0 receptions per game. As a return specialist, he led the ACC and ranked 10th nationally with a 27.6-yard kickoff return average (16 for 442 yards) and ranked second in the ACC and 21st nationally with a 10.1-yard punt return average (16 for 162 yards). He also ranked second in the ACC and 14th nationally in all-purpose yards per game with 148.3.
Boyd had a season-high 10 receptions for 153 yards (15.3 avg.) againstIowa; with his performance, Boyd went over 100 career receptions, tyingLarry Fitzgerald for fewest games needed to reach the century milestone for catches at Pitt (17 contests). He posted a season-high 160 receiving yards (second highest in his career) on five catches (32.0 avg.) with a 50-yard touchdown atNorth Carolina. Boyd received ACC Receiver of the Week honors for his outstanding performance in Pitt's 30–7 win overSyracuse, where he had seven receptions for 126 yards (18.0 avg.) against the Orange, including a 49-yard catch-and-run touchdown. He was honored as the ACC Specialist of the Week after compiling 262 all-purpose yards in a 35–23 win atMiami (FL) on November 29; in that game, Boyd totaled 190 yards on six kick returns (31.7 avg.) and added five receptions for 72 yards (14.4 avg.) with a 12-yard touchdown catch.
| 2014 season breakdown | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Receiving | Rushing | |||||||||||
| Date | Opponent | Result | Rec | Yards | Avg | Long | TDs | Att | Yards | Avg | Long | TDs |
| 8/30 | Delaware | W 62–0 | 2 | 18 | 9.0 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 8.5 | 12 | 0 |
| 9/5 | @Boston College | W 30–20 | 5 | 72 | 14.4 | 41 | 2 | 2 | 23 | 11.5 | 19 | 0 |
| 9/13 | @FIU | W 42–25 | 4 | 50 | 12.5 | 19 | 1 | 1 | −7 | −7.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9/20 | Iowa | L 24–20 | 10 | 153 | 15.3 | 39 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2.0 | 6 | 0 |
| 9/27 | Akron | L 21–10 | 6 | 72 | 12.0 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 10 | 0 |
| 10/4 | @Virginia | L 24–19 | 3 | 63 | 21.0 | 34 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | 6 | 0 |
| 10/16 | Virginia Tech | W 21–16 | 6 | 86 | 14.3 | 53 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10/25 | Georgia Tech | L 56–28 | 9 | 137 | 15.2 | 23 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 3 | 0 |
| 11/1 | Duke | L 51–482OT | 7 | 140 | 20.0 | 48 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11/15 | @North Carolina | L 40–35 | 5 | 160 | 32.0 | 50 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 5 | 0 |
| 11/22 | Syracuse | W 30–7 | 7 | 126 | 18.0 | 49 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11/29 | @Miami (FL) | W 35–23 | 5 | 72 | 14.4 | 28 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1/2 | vs.Houston | L 35–34 | 9 | 112 | 12.4 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 totals | 78 | 1,261 | 16.2 | 53 | 8 | 12 | 63 | 5.3 | 19 | 0 | ||
_(cropped).jpg)
| 2015 season breakdown | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Receiving | Rushing | |||||||||||
| Date | Opponent | Result | Rec | Yards | Avg | Long | TDs | Att | Yards | Avg | Long | TDs |
| 9/5 | Youngstown State | W 45–37 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9/12 | @Akron | W 24–7 | 11 | 95 | 8.6 | 26 | 0 | 1 | −6 | −6.0 | −6 | 0 |
| 9/19 | @Iowa | L 27–24 | 10 | 131 | 13.1 | 36 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 3.5 | 5 | 0 |
| 10/3 | @Virginia Tech | W 17–13 | 5 | 48 | 9.6 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10/10 | Virginia | W 26–19 | 7 | 54 | 7.7 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 7 | 0 |
| 10/17 | @Georgia Tech | W 31–28 | 8 | 68 | 8.5 | 18 | 2 | 5 | 26 | 5.2 | 9 | 0 |
| 10/24 | @Syracuse | W 23–20 | 12 | 93 | 7.8 | 24 | 0 | 6 | 34 | 5.7 | 11 | 0 |
| 10/29 | North Carolina | L 26–19 | 10 | 89 | 8.9 | 19 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | 6 | 0 |
| 11/7 | Notre Dame | L 42–30 | 3 | 84 | 28.0 | 51 | 1 | 3 | 42 | 14.0 | 37 | 0 |
| 11/14 | @Duke | W 31–13 | 3 | 38 | 12.7 | 21 | 0 | 8 | 79 | 9.9 | 27 | 0 |
| 11/21 | Louisville | W 45–34 | 11 | 103 | 9.4 | 35 | 1 | 4 | 50 | 12.5 | 24 | 0 |
| 11/27 | Miami (FL) | L 29–24 | 5 | 70 | 14.0 | 36 | 0 | 3 | 47 | 15.7 | 30 | 0 |
| 12/28 | vs.Navy | L 44–28 | 6 | 53 | 8.8 | 15 | 0 | 5 | 55 | 11.0 | 21 | 0 |
| 2015 totals | 91 | 926 | 10.2 | 51 | 6 | 40 | 349 | 8.7 | 37 | 0 | ||
| Pittsburgh Panthers | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Receiving | Rushing | ||||||
| Rec | Yards | Avg | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | |
| 2013 | 85 | 1,174 | 13.8 | 7 | 11 | 108 | 9.8 | 1 |
| 2014 | 78 | 1,261 | 16.2 | 8 | 12 | 63 | 5.3 | 0 |
| 2015 | 85 | 926 | 10.3 | 6 | 35 | 294 | 8.4 | 0 |
| Career | 248 | 3,361 | 13.3 | 21 | 58 | 465 | 8.0 | 1 |
Coming out of college, Boyd was projected to be a second round draft pick by the majority of NFL Draft analysts. He was ranked the fifth best wide receiver out of 414 available by NFLDraftScouts.com.[5]
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Boyd runs the 40 at the NFL Combine |
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft1+1⁄2 in (1.87 m) | 197 lb (89 kg) | 32 in (0.81 m) | 9+3⁄4 in (0.25 m) | 4.58 s | 1.59 s | 2.66 s | 4.35 s | 6.90 s | 34 in (0.86 m) | 9 ft 11 in (3.02 m) | 11 reps | |
| All values fromNFL Combine[6] | ||||||||||||
TheCincinnati Bengals selected Boyd in the second round with the 55th overall pick in the2016 NFL draft. He was the seventh wide receiver to be taken that year.[7]
On May 16, 2016, the Bengals signed Boyd to a four-year, $4.25 million contract that includes $1.94 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $1.29 million.[8]Boyd entered the regular season as the third receiver on the depth chart behind veteransA. J. Green andBrandon LaFell.[9] In the season opener against theNew York Jets, he caught two passes fromAndy Dalton for 24 yards.[10] The following week, during a 16–24 loss to thePittsburgh Steelers, he made six receptions for 78 receiving yards.[11] In Week 6, against theNew England Patriots, Boyd recorded a career-high 79 yards on four receptions.[12] On November 20, 2016, Boyd made six receptions for 54 receiving yards and caught a one-yard touchdown pass from Dalton for his first career touchdown in a 16–12 loss to theBuffalo Bills.[13] He finished his rookie season with 54 receptions for 603 receiving yards and one touchdown.[14]
In his first four games in the 2017 season, Boyd totaled six receptions for 43 yards. Against the Bills, he suffered a knee injury and was forced to miss four games.[15] In Week 12, against the Browns, he had his first receiving touchdown of the season.[16] In Week 17, Boyd caught his third career touchdown on 4th and 12 with 53 seconds left, giving the Bengals a 31–27 lead over theBaltimore Ravens. That score would end up being the winning score, as the Bengals eliminated the Ravens from playoff contention for the 2017 season, and allowed the Buffalo Bills to clinch their first playoff berth since 1999.[17] Thanks to the Bengals' victory, thousands of grateful Bills fans donated money to Dalton's personal charity. Most of the donations were in $17 increments in honor of the Bills breaking their 17-year playoff drought.[18] Over 11,000 people donated a combined over $250,000 to the Andy & Jordan Dalton Foundation, while Tyler Boyd's charity of choice, the Western Pennsylvania Youth Athletic Association, received $50,000 in donations from Bills fans.[19][20]
In Week 2 of the 2018 season, Boyd recorded six receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown against the Ravens.[21] In Week 3, he had six receptions for 132 receiving yards and a touchdown against theCarolina Panthers.[22] He recorded another great outing in the next game against theAtlanta Falcons with 11 receptions for 100 receiving yards in the 37–36 victory.[23] In Week 6, he recorded seven receptions for 62 yards and two touchdowns against the Steelers.[24] He suffered an MCL sprain in Week 15 and was placed oninjured reserve on December 28, 2018.[25] He finished his breakout season as the Bengals leading receiver with 76 receptions for 1,028 yards and seven touchdowns.[26][27]
On July 23, 2019, Boyd signed a four-year, $43 million contract extension with the Bengals, keeping him under contract through the 2023 season.[28] In Week 2 against theSan Francisco 49ers, Boyd caught 10 passes for 122 yards as the Bengals lost 41–17.[29] In Week 5 against theArizona Cardinals, Boyd caught ten passes for 123 yards and a touchdown in the 26–23 loss.[30]In Week 12 against the Steelers, Boyd caught five passes for 101 yards and a 47-yard touchdown in the 16–10 loss.[31] During Week 16 against theMiami Dolphins, Boyd finished with nine catches for 128 yards and two touchdowns as the Bengals lost 35–38 in overtime.[32] Overall, Boyd finished the 2019 season with 90 receptions for 1,046 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns.[33]
In Week 2 against theCleveland Browns onThursday Night Football, Boyd caught seven passes for 72 yards and his first receiving touchdown of the season during the 35–30 loss.[34] He had ten receptions for 125 yards in a Week 3 tie against thePhiladelphia Eagles.[35]In Week 7 against the Cleveland Browns, Boyd recorded 11 catches for 101 yards and a touchdown during the 37–34 loss.[36] In Week 13 against the Dolphins, Boyd had one reception for a 72 yard touchdown. However, Boyd was ejected in the second quarter after he and cornerbackXavien Howard got into an altercation.[37] Boyd finished the 2020 season with 79 receptions for 841 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns.[38]
In the 2021 season, Boyd was part of a receiving unit that containedJa'Marr Chase andTee Higgins.[39] He finished the 2021 season with 67 receptions for 828 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns.[40]
In theWild Card Round against theLas Vegas Raiders, Boyd caught a touchdown on a controversial play where there was an inadvertent whistle. The Bengals went on to win 26–19.[41][42] In theAFC Championship Game against theKansas City Chiefs, Boyd had four receptions for 19 yards in the 27–24 overtime win, helping the Bengals advance toSuper Bowl LVI, their first Super Bowl appearance sinceSuper Bowl XXIII in1988.[43] In the Super Bowl, Boyd caught five passes for 48 yards, but dropped a crucial pass in the final minutes of the 4th quarter, his first drop of the season.[44] The Bengals fell to the Rams 23–20.[45]
In Week 3, against the Jets, Boyd had four receptions for 105 receiving yards and a touchdown in the 27–12 victory.[46] In Week 7, against the Falcons, he had eight receptions for 155 receiving yards and one touchdown in the 35–17 victory.[47] In 16 games in the 2022 season, he had 58 receptions for 762 yards and five touchdowns.[48]
In the 2023 season, Boyd appeared in all 17 games. He finished with 67 receptions for 667 yards and two touchdowns.[49]
On May 13, 2024, Boyd signed a one-year contract with theTennessee Titans, joining head coachBrian Callahan who was hisoffensive coordinator with the Bengals.[50][51] He appeared in 16 games and had eight starts, finishing with 39 receptions for 390 yards and no touchdowns.[52] This season saw Boyd's lowest number of receiving yards since 2017 and was his first in the NFL without a receiving touchdown.
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Rushing | Fumbles | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2016 | CIN | 16 | 2 | 81 | 54 | 603 | 11.2 | 30 | 1 | 4 | 58 | 14.5 | 39 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2017 | CIN | 10 | 1 | 32 | 22 | 225 | 10.2 | 49T | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | CIN | 14 | 14 | 108 | 76 | 1,028 | 13.5 | 49 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 1.5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | CIN | 16 | 15 | 148 | 90 | 1,046 | 11.6 | 47 | 5 | 4 | 23 | 5.8 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 2020 | CIN | 15 | 8 | 110 | 79 | 841 | 10.6 | 72T | 4 | 5 | 49 | 9.8 | 25 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2021 | CIN | 16 | 10 | 94 | 67 | 828 | 12.4 | 68 | 5 | 2 | 22 | 11.0 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022 | CIN | 16 | 14 | 82 | 58 | 762 | 13.1 | 60 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | CIN | 17 | 13 | 98 | 67 | 667 | 10.0 | 64 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 5.5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | TEN | 16 | 8 | 57 | 39 | 390 | 10.0 | 40 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 136 | 85 | 810 | 552 | 6,390 | 11.6 | 72T | 31 | 19 | 166 | 8.7 | 39 | 0 | 5 | 3 | |
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Rushing | Fumbles | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2021 | CIN | 4 | 3 | 20 | 15 | 110 | 7.3 | 16T | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | CIN | 3 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 89 | 14.8 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 7 | 6 | 27 | 21 | 199 | 9.5 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
