On paper, the Pittsburgh Steelers and veteran receiver Tyler Boyd seem like an ideal match in free agency.
Not only do the Steelers have a major need for a No. 2 receiver behind George Pickens, but there is the local product potentially returning home angle that is so enticing with Boyd.
But where things currently stand, the signing of Boyd by the Steelers is a “longshot,” according to The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly, in large part due to money.
In a piece for The Athletic Friday morning, Kaboly highlighted the Steelers’ unwillingness to pay more for Boyd’s services, which aligns with comments that the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo made a few weeks ago regarding the financial hold-up in a potential Boyd signing.
“The Steelers have not been willing to bump up their offer to free-agent wideout Tyler Boyd, making that signing a longshot,” Kaboly writes regarding Boyd and the Steelers for theathletic.com.
Throughout much of the offseason, Boyd and the Steelers have been talked about ad nauseam as a strong pairing in free agency with Boyd coming home to Pittsburgh to play the final few years of his career and the Steelers landing an experienced No. 2 option to take some of the heat off Pickens at times.
Reportedly, Boyd wants to come home, and the two sides have mutual interest. But nothing has happened yet, and, according to Kaboly, it seems very unlikely anything will.
Boyd is 30 years old and is coming off a down season, at least by his standards in his NFL career. Boyd recorded 67 receptions for 667 yards and two touchdowns, averaging the lowest yards per reception of his career with 10.0. According to Pro Football Focus, Boyd had a career-worst 59.5 grade last season and was charged with three drops, his most since 2019.
Though he still remains a solid player, he’s on the wrong side of 30 and is showing signs of decline. While it’s unclear what Boyd’s asking price is or what the Steelers’ offer might be to the former Pitt standout, Pro Football Focus projected Boyd’s deal in free agency to be a two-year deal at $16.5 million total, including $10 million guaranteed. That certainly seems a bit pricey, especially for a team that reportedly doesn’t have everyone in the organization 100% on board with adding the former Bengals receiver.
Knowing that, and now seeing Kaboly report that the team is unwilling to increase its offer, it sure seems like the fairytale of Boyd returning home to play for the Black and Gold is coming to an end.
Things could certainly change in the weeks leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft, or even after the draft depending on what the Steelers do at the position, but the addition of Boyd — the longer and longer he sits on the open market — seems unlikely for the Steelers.
