How Tyler Boyd, Jonah Williams are preparing for what could be final game with Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals (8-8) will take on the Cleveland Browns (11-5) in their final game of the season.

And now with the Bengals having officially been eliminated from the postseason, Sunday’s game at Paycor Stadium will be the final time a few players will run out of Cincinnati’s tunnel wearing orange and black.

Offensive tackle Jonah Williams, wide receivers Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins and defensive back Chidobe Awuzie will all being playing in their final game under their current contract with the Bengals.

Let that sink in.

All four of these players have been instrumental in the Bengals’ success over the last two seasons. Nose tackle DJ Reader is also on the list of starters set to be free agents after this season, but Reader suffered a season-ending injury that cut his season short in December.

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Being without contract doesn't mean players couldn't return

Typically, if a team wants to keep a player from reaching free agency, the franchise gets a long-term deal done in place of the final year of the players’ contract. The Bengals reached extensions with linebacker Logan Wilson and quarterback Joe Burrow ahead of the season-opener against the Browns.

All four of the players listed above entered the season without a new contract from the Bengals, signaling their time could be done. That’s not to say they won’t be back, though. Cincinnati was able to re-sign linebacker Germaine Pratt to an extension after letting him test free agency.

It’s unclear if Higgins will play due to a hamstring injury he suffered against the Chiefs. He didn’t practice on Wednesday and his status remains uncertain.

But for Williams and Boyd, this could very well be their last game starting for the Bengals.

Let’s start with where things stand with Williams and how the Bengals and their former first-round pick got to this point.

Cincinnati drafted Williams with the 11th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Williams has started 58 games for the Bengals at left and right tackle. Until this season, Williams was the Bengals’ starting left tackle tasked with protecting Joe Burrow’s blindside.

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Brown signing forced Williams to right tackle

Then, in one of the more shocking moves the franchise has made in recent years, the Bengals signed Orlando Brown in free agency with Williams still on the roster. The signing of Brown meant that the Bengals were either going to move on from Williams or move him to the right side.

Williams was blindsided by the move and requested a trade this offseason. A few teams were interested in acquiring Williams ahead of the NFL draft, including Jacksonville, but the Bengals decided not to move him.

This decision meant that Williams would have to switch positions in the final year of his contract for a team that replaced him with someone else. Williams was going to have to swallow his pride and play through any disappointment he felt and did just that.

"I will say the way that he handled it was incredibly impressive," Bengals offsensive coodinator Brian Callahan said. "Obviously not something you want to do. You're a left tackle, you want to be a left tackle and he gets moved over and just like anybody would anticipate that not being something they wanted to hear or do, but man, the willingness to just say, 'You know what, this is the situation I'm going to play my very best. I'm going to do everything I can to make this transition work for me and for our team.' I don't know. I thought that was one of the more impressive handlings of a difficult situation from a player that I've seen in a long time."

Williams started every game this year at right tackle and made a case for himself that it could be where his future is.

“I'll play wherever I have enjoyed it,” Williams said of where he wants to play moving forward. “It's been fun. I also love left tackle. So no preference moving forward.”

When asked about the emotions of this week, Williams wanted to keep his comments about the upcoming game to himself. He was not in a reflective state.

Boyd was productive player for eight seasons

The same goes for Boyd. All signs pointed to the Bengals moving on from Boyd after this season when they drafted rookie Charlie Jones in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft. Boyd is 29 years old and the Bengals rarely give skill players a third contract, especially when at his age.

So as Boyd gets ready for what could be his final game as a Bengal, he wants to keep the focus on soaking up every moment in Cincinnati’s locker room.

“I’m just trying to cherish the rest of the season with these guys,” Boyd said.

Boyd has played eight seasons with the Bengals and is one of the most consistent players to come through the franchise. In 119 games played, Boyd has caught 512 passes for 5,996 yards and 31 touchdowns.

He’s also been a team captain and a key locker room leader for the Bengals, specifically in the first two years of coach Zac Taylor’s tenure.

There’s a lot the Bengals’ front office needs to figure out this offseason with their roster. Change will occur as it does every year but for now, Williams and Boyd will cherish what could be their final game as a Bengal.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How Tyler Boyd and Jonah Williams are approaching what could be final game with Bengals