Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd. Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Tyler Boyd reveals how Bengals 'one-upped' Chiefs in their rivalry

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated May 30, 2023 5:49 PM ET

After meeting in the AFC Championship Game each of the last two seasons, the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs have perhaps the best rivalry in the conference and one of the best in the NFL.

Which is why Bengals receiver Tyler Boyd was thrilled when the team signed Orlando Brown Jr. to a four-year, $64 million contract in mid-March, luring him away from the Chiefs, where he spent the last two seasons, making two Pro Bowls and winning a Super Bowl.

"I mean I loved it," Boyd said, via Joe Danneman of Fox 19. "Because you know we have a nice little rivalry with the Chiefs and just seeing him come over, it's like, 'We one-upped y'all.' But at the end of the day, he's a great player. No matter where he would have went, he's probably one of the best in his position. And just adding him to what we got already, it's going to allow Joe to have more time, and it's going to give us the will to put up those points. So I'm just happy to have him."

Patrick Mahomes on Orlando Brown Jr. going to Cincinnati:

“He makes Cincinnati an even better football team. That stinks for us.”
— Farzin Vousoughian (@Farzin21) May 24, 2023

Brown Jr. was traded from Baltimore to Kansas City along with a 2021 second-round pick in exchange for 2021 first-, third- and fourth-round picks plus a 2022 fifth-round pick two seasons ago.

After his contract expired this year, the Chiefs let him hit the free-agent market and signed tackles Jawaan Taylor and Donovan Smith and drafted Wanya Morris in the third round.

Protecting Joe Burrow’s blind side, Brown Jr. provides an instant upgrade over Jonah Williams, who allowed 45 pressures, 26 hurries and 13 sacks last season — all team highs.

Williams allowed double-digit sacks each of the last two years, and as a whole, the Bengals offensive line has surrendered 92 sacks over that span. Over those same two years, Brown Jr. allowed just 10 sacks on Patrick Mahomes.

Michael Gallagher

Michael Gallagher is a longtime sports journalist based out of Nashville with a decade of experience covering college football, mixed martial arts and prep sports plus the NFL and NHL — specifically the Tennessee Titans and Nashville Predators. He’s covered several notable sporting events including an AFC Championship game, a Stanley Cup Final, an NHL All-Star Game and an NHL Stadium Series. Some of his past bylines can be found at the Nashville Scene, SB Nation, The Hockey News and Fox Sports Knoxville

More must-reads: