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Pitt product and Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd reached a milestone over the weekend, as he amassed 1,000 yards in a season for the first time in his professional career. Boyd has been in the NFL since 2016, but he only recently began to play a prominent role in the Bengals offense, as star receiver A.J. Green has been sidelined multiple times this season due to a nagging toe injury.
Boyd entered the Bengals’ matchup with the Oakland Raiders on Sunday just 10 yards shy of the mark, and before a crowd of 44,568 at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, he contributed 38 yards and the team’s only receiving touchdown on four catches.
.@boutdat_23 reflects on his season so far after Sunday’s victory over the Oakland Raiders.
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) December 17, 2018
WR Tyler Boyd reached the 1,000 yd receiving milestone for the first time in his career. #OAKvsCIN #SeizeTheDEY pic.twitter.com/7XaZI1cMEZ
“Obviously, it’s a huge milestone, and it’s a goal that I always wanted to accomplish coming into the league,” Boyd said of reaching the 1,000-yard mark during a postgame interview. “Now that I’ve done it, I’m on to the next goal now. I’m going to think about it and let it marinate, but it’s time to reset my goals. ... It was a great day for me.”
On a broader level, Boyd’s performance helped the Bengals snap a five-game losing streak. However, with two games left in the regular season, it appears Boyd may not get an opportunity to build on his career-best 1,028-yard mark, as he suffered an MCL sprain and left the game late in the first half. He dismissed the injury as “nothing serious” after the game, even suggesting he would be back next week.
But considering the Bengals have been eliminated from playoff contention, it seems unlikely Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis will risk further injury to a key player. That also means fans of the former Pitt receiver in Pittsburgh, his hometown, are unlikely to see him in the AFC North clash between the Bengals and Steelers, which will take place at Heinz Field on Dec. 30.
If Sunday ends up being Boyd's final game of the 2018 season, he'll finish with 1,028 yards and seven touchdowns on 76 receptions. In any case, this will be the first time since 2010 that a player other than Green has finished as the Bengals' leading receiver.