The Pittsburgh Steelers have already landed one big name this offseason that came at the expense of an AFC North rival.
The agreed to a 3-year deal with former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen.
Now it looks like they could try to pry a starter away from another one of their rivals.
According to The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly, there is mutual interest between the Steelers and former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd.
The team was expected to look at receivers this offseason to fill their need at WR3 after Allen Robinson struggled in the role in 2023.
Now they’ve traded Diontae Johnson, making wide receiver an even bigger priority.
The Under Appreciated Bengals Receiver
When talking about the Bengals’ passing attack, there are two receivers that get most of the attention.
Those two are Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
Before those two arrived in Cincinnati, Boyd was on his was to a pretty impressive career of his own.
Boyd had consecutive 1000-yard seasons in 2018 and 2019 despite being thrown to by a declining Andy Dalton.
The QB upgrade he had been waiting for came in 2020, but it was unfortunately accompanied by the arrival of Higgins.
Boyd still made 79 catches for 841 in spite of the new competition for targets and Joe Burrow’s ACL tear.
The following year, Chase was added to the mix and immediately established himself as a star at the position.
Boyd still ended the season with 67 catches for 828 yards.
As the young stars continued to develop, Boyd’s role shrunk, but he was still a productive third option.
He made 58 catches for 762 yards in 2022 and then followed it up with 67 catches for 667 yards in 2023.
Unfortunately, the team just can’t afford to keep Boyd around after giving Burrow his big extension, franchise tagging Higgins, and preparing to give Chase his own big extension.
That could present an opportunity for one of their AFC North rivals.
Boyd’s Fit With The Steelers
Boyd is a player who was seen as a potential option for the Steelers well before the team traded Johnson.
He grew up in Pennsylvania and played his college ball at Pitt.
He even said earlier this offseason that he would like to play for the Steelers at some point in his career.
Now the move would make more sense than ever.
The team needs somebody dependable to step into Johnson’s role and it doesn’t get much more dependable than Boyd.
He could also be surprisingly affordable for a player of his caliber.
Gabe Davis and Darnell Mooney are both set to make $13 million per year on the contracts they just signed.
Boyd made a bit under $11 million per year on his most recent deal and PFF has him projected to get around $8.25 per year on the next one.
At 29 years old, the Steelers should get prime years out of Boyd for the duration of any contract they’d sign him to, so his age shouldn’t be a concern.
It seems like Boyd wants to be in Pittsburgh and he would be a low-risk option for them to fill the vacancy left by Johnson.
If the Steelers can make the money work, then Boyd is a perfect option to be their WR2.
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