Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager Omar Khan seems to have dug the team a big hole at the wide receiver position this offseason. Trading Diontae Johnson might have been necessary, given the circumstances, but George Pickens was left looking around and attempting to find his next partner-in-crime. Calvin Austin III, Van Jefferson and Quez Watkins are all solid depth pieces, but not one of them is a certified number two wideout in the NFL. A name that has often been brought up in connection with Pittsburgh is former Cincinnati Bengals pass-catcher, Tyler Boyd.
Ryan Meyer / Cincinnati Bengals
Former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd (#83) runs with the ball during a 2023 regular season away game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
Talks were apparently heating up between Boyd and the Steelers when the new league year began. Once Johnson was traded, there were reports that Boyd was speaking to Pittsburgh about coming back to his hometown to play in the Steel City. It seems as if the talks have faded, mainly due to the fact that Khan isn't willing to pay what Boyd's team is asking for.
Team insider for The Athletic, Mark Kaboly, hosted a mailbag and released it on Tuesday. He welcomed questions from fans and gave his in-depth answers to topics regarding the organization. A curious fan asked about Boyd and the prospect of him coming to play for the Steelers. Kaboly is pretty sure that the possibility is no longer on the table.
"I am pretty sure the ship with the Steelers has sailed," Kaboly wrote.
Boyd is a productive wideout and can be a leader in whichever locker room he ends up in. He has been stuck on the depth chart behind Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins with the Bengals, but now has an opportunity to take the next step. The problem with his potential asking price is that he hasn't had over 828 receiving yards in a season since 2019. He should be paid like a number three wideout, but could be asking for a little too much money.
Matt Freed / Post-Gazette
Former University of Pittsburgh wide receiver, Tyler Boyd runs away from a Navy defender during a collegiate football game.
The University of Pittsburgh product will cash in somewhere, but it doesn't seem as if it's going to be with the Steelers. A lot of fans seemed to have welcomed Boyd returning to the Steel City, but more so as a number three receiver. Bringing him in might not fill the void that was created when Johnson departed, potentially leading to Khan not wanting to cough up a bigger paycheck than expected.
Boyd was drafted in the second round (55th overall) by the Bengals in the 2016 NFL Draft. Pittsburgh ended up selecting defensive back Sean Davis just a couple picks later. Boyd enters 2024 with 513 total catches and a flat 6,000 receiving yards. There's no doubt that he has been productive during his NFL career, and Kaboly noted that other teams have been in on him from the jump, despite the wideout's interest regarding the Steelers.
"From what I have been told, Boyd was extremely interested in Pittsburgh at the beginning of the free agency process, but the offer wasn’t something he was comfortable with. Boyd has at least had preliminary interest from the Chiefs, Chargers, Dolphins, Lions and 49ers."
The San Francisco 49ers' checking in with Boyd's camp is an interesting one. Brandon Aiyuk has been involved in trade rumors, but General Manager John Lynch vehemently shut them down at the NFL's Annual Meetings in Orlando last month. It's still not a far-fetched thought to believe that the Steelers and Khan are waiting for Aiyuk's price to drop in order to swoop in.
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Former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson allows a touchdown to Brandon Aiyuk of the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1 of 2023 during a contest at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA.
Steelers' Plan At Wide Receiver Yet To Be Clear To Public
One can be confident in saying that Pittsburgh is drafting at least one wide receiver at the end of April. Aside from that, there are several questions. Would Khan and Head Coach Mike Tomlin really trust a rookie wideout to be second on the depth chart? Do they have more faith in one of the other current rostered players at the position? Something is brewing, but it's being kept close to those inside the building. The position will be upgraded before the 2024 season kicks off, regardless.
Did you want Pittsburgh to pursue Boyd? Are you upset that the ship may have sailed? Let us know in the comments below!
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