Getty The Athletic's Mark Kaboly reported the Pittsburgh Steelers are "not 100% on board" with signing Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd.
Former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd appears to be an obvious fit for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He possesses the versatility to play in the slot and outside as the team’s No. 2 receiver. Boyd is also a Pittsburgh native who has expressed wanting to return to his hometown.
But The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly reported that not everyone in the Steelers organization is convinced they should sign the veteran receiver.
“Some people (not all) inside Steelers not 100% on board with signing Tyler Boyd,” Kaboly wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “There is still time to work things and everything is still on the table but it doesn’t appear anywhere close to a sure thing like it appeared to be a week ago at this time.”
Some people (not all) inside Steelers not 100% on board with signing Tyler Boyd. There is still time to work things and everything is still on the table but it doesn’t appear anywhere close to a sure thing like it appeared to be a week ago at this time.
Kaboly’s tweet came a day after ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the Steelers scheduled a visit with fellow free agent wideout Mike Williams.
Boyd posted 513 receptions, 6,000 receiving yards and 31 touchdowns in eight seasons with the Bengals. During 2023, he had 67 catches for 667 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Playing at Pitt from 2013-15, Boyd caught 254 passes for 3,361 yards and 21 touchdowns for the Panthers. He also played football at Clairton High School in the Pittsburgh area.
Steelers Brass Not on Same Page With WR Tyler Boyd?
Pittsburgh sports fans love seeing local products play in the black and gold. But Boyd signing with the Steelers wouldn’t just be a feel-good story.
After the Diontae Johnson trade, George Pickens was Pittsburgh’s only returning receiver with more than 200 receiving yards last year. On March 15, the Steelers signed Van Jefferson, who eclipsed that mark in 2023, but not by much.
He had 209 receiving yards in 17 games with the Los Angeles Rams and Atlanta Falcons.
Jefferson played for new Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith last season. But Jefferson only had 12 catches for 101 yards, averaging 8.4 yards per reception, over five games in Smith’s offense.
In summary, the Steelers need another receiver. Boyd is one of the best left available in free agency.
Boyd has had more than 600 receiving yards in seven of his eight NFL seasons. He posted back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns during 2018 and 2019. He also had 800-plus yards in 2020 and 2021.
So, it’s curious to hear that not everyone in the Steelers organization wants to sign Boyd.
It’s important to note, though, that Kaboly didn’t specify why parts of the Steelers brass may not want to bring in Boyd. Steelers Depot’s Ross McCorkle suggested it could be money.
“The asking price might be slightly higher than what the Steelers are willing to spend,” McCorkle wrote. “The last contract he signed was a four-year, $43 million deal in 2019. There is always a way to fit in good talent under the salary cap, but the Steelers rarely offer big-money deals to external free agents.
“They just broke the franchise record with Patrick Queen at $13.66 million average annual value.”
McCorkle also noted that Boyd has seen a drop in his production the past two seasons. He averaged a career-low 10 yards per catch in 2023.
Steelers Set to Host Visit With WR Mike Williams
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Steelers have scheduled a meeting with former Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams this week.
That may say even before about the Steelers feelings toward Boyd than Kaboly’s report. Although the Steelers expressed interest in Boyd at the beginning of free agency, he doesn’t have a visit planned with the Steelers.
Williams has been a dynamic No. 2 receiver during his career, but he’s far different than Boyd.
Although Williams doesn’t have as much experience in the slot as Boyd, Williams has been a more dangerous deep threat. Williams has averaged 15.6 yards per reception in his career.
Williams is coming off a season where he suffered a torn left ACL during Week 3. He had 19 catches for 249 yards prior to the injury.
During 2022, Williams had 63 receptions for 895 yards and 4 touchdowns. He averaged 14.2 yards per catch.