Steelers Are In A Great Position To Land Long Time AFC North Rival At Receiver

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a lot of work to do during the offseason in 2024. They will need to hire a new offensive coordinator, as well as make some thoughtful changes to their defensive staff. In addition to that, there are some huge holes to fill on their current roster. They need to work on improving the offensive line, bring in some help at linebacker, and find themselves a reliable and productive wide receiver behind Diontae Johnson and George Pickens. One AFC North rival threw his name in the ring to fill that position with comments he made on Friday.

Steelers Could Land Tyler Boyd In Free Agency

The Steelers will certainly be looking to add to their wide receiver room in 2024. They brought in Allen Robinson II prior to the 2023 season, but he only caught 34 passes for 280 yards and never once was able to find the end zone. He also showed his age a lot, as he struggled to be a factor after the catch in his 10th season. It is likely he will be a cap casualty in the offseason. 

Tyler Boyd would be a good option to take over for Robinson, and he spoke about the possibility at a ceremony where he was announced as a member of the WPIAL 2024 Hall Of Fame class. 

"You never know, I love Coach Tomlin. He’s probably one of the realest dudes in the sports business. Obviously, I played at Pitt, and I had a lot of run-ins with him and talked to him just about football. His personality is more like a father figure, it’s a great connection, but who knows? Even if I don’t go after this year, I could do a one-year deal at the end of my career and maybe finish up, but who knows."

Boyd played at Pittsburgh from 2013 through 2015, before being a second-round draft pick to the Cincinnati Bengals in 2016. Pittsburgh shares their football facilities with the Steelers, so there is a lot of run-ins between the two teams, which obviously happened with Boyd since he considers Mike Tomlin as a father figure. Boyd could very well allow his relationships with Tomlin and others in the Steelers organization to lead him back to the city where he played his college football.

Boyd has only played for the Bengals in his career and has been extremely productive since entering the NFL. He has notched two seasons of over 1,000 yards receiving, and has been a staple and leader of the Bengals' locker room for eight years. 

He stayed with the Bengals even during their roughest seasons. In fact, Boyd's first four seasons with the team all resulted in a losing record. He didn't make his first playoff appearance until the 2021 season, when the Bengals lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl. 

Boyd's contract with the Bengals expired following the 2023 season, so he will be able to pick where his next home might be in the NFL. This will be Boyd's first time experiencing free agency, as he signed a four-year extension with the Bengals following his third season. It's no guarantee whether or not the Bengals will try to bring back Boyd, but he is their longest tenured player and a fan-favorite. Cincinnati has a lot to figure out in their wide receiver room, as their star receiver Ja'Marr Chase is now eligible for a contract extension and Tee Higgins is also an unrestricted free agent following the 2023 season. 

If Boyd is not brought back by Cincinnati, he should be at the top of the Steelers' shopping list. He is still very productive as a team's third wide receiver. In 2023, he notched 67 catches for 667 yards and two touchdowns. Even if the Steelers don't bring him into the fold during the 2024 offseason, Boyd left the window open for a reunion in the future with his comments. 

What do you think of the possibility of Boyd joining the Steelers? Let us know in the comments below!

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