Two days after veteran wide receiver Tyler Boyd stated during his youth football camp in the Pittsburgh area that he’d love to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers, longtime Steelers’ reporter Mark Kaboly reported on 93.7 The Fan’s Morning Show Monday that the Steelers and Boyd previously had conversations this offseason.
“Well, first of all, I think that what I’ve been under the impression or been told that the Steelers did offer him…this year. But I don’t know about the offer. They talked. The belief is the money is not there for him to make a decision, not only with the Steelers, but across the board,” Kaboly said of Boyd and the Steelers during an appearance on 93.7 The Fan Monday morning. “A lot of teams are trying to low-ball him right now, and he doesn’t wanna play for minimum. He thinks he’s much more worth it. So that’s why he’s waiting it out to see how this plays out right now.
“But I did hear that, at least, the Steelers were talking to him. Now, I don’t know if there was a formal offer or ‘hey, would you be willing to do this?’ But there has been interaction between those two.”
Tyler Boyd’s comments over the weekend raised some eyebrows, considering the Steelers continue to look for additional playmakers at receiver this offseason after already trading for DK Metcalf, and then signing veteran Robert Woods shortly after the 2025 NFL Draft.
That need at the receiver position was heightened with the trade of George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys. Though wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni and even GM Omar Khan feel good about the receiver room, believing greatly in Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson entering this season, there’s still a need at receiver. That remains unchanged, even after the shocking trade with the Miami Dolphins on Monday that brought TE Jonnu Smith and DB Jalen Ramsey to the Steelers for Minkah Fitzpatrick, along with a late-round pick swap in 2027.
Though there are bigger names on the market who would make more sense for the Steelers, Tyler Boyd is at least an intriguing option. He is a hometown product who could be quite the story, closing his career in his hometown.
He’s coming off a tough season in Tennessee after signing with the Titans last offseason on a one-year deal. Boyd had just 39 receptions for 390 yards last season, failing to score a touchdown for the first time in his career.
Prior to his one season in Tennessee, Tyler Boyd spent eight years with the Bengals, hauling in 513 passes for 6,000 yards and 31 touchdowns. He often served as a good No. 2 option for the Bengals opposite the likes of A.J. Green and then as the No. 3 option between Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
Being open to playing for the Steelers and actually signing with the team are two different things, considering Boyd did a similar song and dance last offseason with the Steelers, stating he wanted to return home, but then made it about the money and took a one-year deal with the Titans.
Now, he might be at the end of his career, and the Steelers’ receiver room is a bit crowded. It’s possible the Steelers made an offer to both Boyd and Robert Woods this offseason, and Woods was the one who accepted the deal before Woods accepted it first, signing with the Steelers and keeping Boyd on the market.
The fit between Boyd and Pittsburgh isn’t all that clean now, as he’s primarily a slot receiver, and the room is pretty crowded there. But adding more pieces to the room, especially with experience like Boyd’s, can’t exactly hurt.
