Tyler Boyd Says Bengals Would've Beat Chiefs Without Injury: 'I Was the Key Factor'

The Cincinnati Bengals fell to the Kansas City Chiefs 23-20 in the AFC Championship Game last season, and wide receiver Tyler Boyd thinks the matchup would have turned out differently if he were healthy.

"Still to this day, I feel like if I would have played the whole game, I was the key factor," Boyd said Tuesday, per ESPN's Ben Baby. "We would've won the game."

Boyd suffered a deep thigh bruise in the second quarter of the AFC Championship Game and didn't return to play the second half. He caught two passes for 40 yards before exiting.

The 28-year-old added that he tried numbing cream and ibuprofen in an attempt to suppress the pain so he could return to the field, though he also said he didn't want a potential return to impact his connection with quarterback Joe Burrow.

"I just felt like we had enough depth for guys like [Trenton Irwin] and other guys to come in and play at a faster pace than what I felt like I could do," Boyd said. "I wish I was able to do it, but things happen."

Boyd was a key role player for the Bengals during the 2022 season's playoffs, catching six passes for 89 yards on seven targets. He'll continue to be a factor in the Cincinnati offense in 2023 alongside Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

Boyd will become an unrestricted free agent after the 2023 campaign and will be looking to put together a standout season in a contract year.