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Early on, it looked like Pitt wide receiver Tyler Boyd would play against Boston College, despite a dislocated finger. Head coach Paul Chryst not only recently confirmed that, but also said Boyd will return punts as well. Per the PG's Sam Werner:
Pitt coach Paul Chryst said Wednesday that there will probably be some discomfort and pain tolerance for Boyd, but that it wasn't something he anticipated being a big deal.
"It's going to be inconvenient I think for him," Chryst said. "But he'll deal with it."
Chryst went on to confirm that Boyd will, in fact, continue to return punts against the Eagles tomorrow night.
My position on Boyd as a return man hasn't really ever been set in stone. But the one thing that we know (and learned last week) is that using him in that role presents some sort of risk.
For the record, the play on which he hurt his finger could have occurred just as easily on a passing play. Still, the more he's utilized in that role means the greater the chance for an injury. And the fact that he could get blown up by a big hit as some receivers do when they don't call for a fair catch is ... downright scary.
The benefit, of course, is that Boyd is a big factor in the return game. He had a couple of nice returns in the Delaware game last week and it's hard to imagine he won't eventually break one for a touchdown like he did last year. Even when he doesn't score, he has the ability to put the Panthers in pretty good field condition.
For better or worse, Chryst has made his decision. And that position is to get Boyd on the field as much as possible.
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