The Cincinnati Bengals extending Tyler Boyd’s contract with a big-money offer wasn’t simply about the on-field production.
Of course, Boyd breaking out last year with 1,000-plus yards while the roster around him succumbed to injuries didn’t hurt. But for new head coach Zac Taylor, everything else about Boyd exemplifies the tone he wants to set.
“I think he’s a great example of the type of player we have on this team,” Taylor said, according to Bengals.com. “He just put his head down and went to work. I really liked his approach and you like to reward guys (with) that approach. It sets an example for other guys on this team.”
Boyd had plenty of good things to say after news of the extension broke, including what fans want to hear on the A.J. Green front:
But more importantly, it seems Taylor has targeted the little things about Boyd and wants to use him as an example of guys who get rewarded under his watchful eye.
And indeed, Boyd said and did the right things well before the contract got re-upped too, as he publicly went out of his way to stress he’d be at camp putting in work even if he didn’t have an extension in hand.
In the grand scheme of things, Boyd’s extension doesn’t have much to do with Green’s contract. But the younger wideout is clearly someone Taylor will point to in the coming years as a lead-by-example presence.
