Report: ‘Ship Has Sailed’ on Steelers Signing Tyler Boyd

Free-agent wide receiver Tyler Boyd remains unsigned after being on the open market for the first three weeks of free agency. Boyd and veteran wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. are the best available receivers for the Pittsburgh Steelers to snag.

Two weeks ago, it was reported and confirmed to Steelers Now that the Steelers and Boyd had mutual interest, but nothing has happened just yet. Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette believes that money is the only glaring factor that is keeping the Steelers and Boyd from striking a deal.

“I think the Steelers view any of these current wide receiver free agents as number threes. … I just don’t think they want to pay $8-9 million a year for a guy who’s going to be a number three,” Fittipaldo said on 93.7 The Fan.

Mark Kaboly of The Athletic believes that the team just does not want to give Boyd more money. That sentiment was confirmed to Steelers Now, and it is the main holdup in negotiations advancing past the stage they are at right now, which is a stalemate.

Kaboly doubled down on that on Tuesday, stating that many other teams are interested in Boyd and that Pittsburgh’s offer is not sufficient to land him.

“I would say that it would be a long shot, at best, that the two sides come together. 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. I am pretty sure the ship with the Steelers has sailed,” Kaboly wrote.

A second-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Boyd was Cincinnati’s primary slot receiver for six years, working inside Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins in the team’s usual starting. The 29-year-old has been one of the most consistent slot receivers in the NFL. He has recorded at least 50 catches and 600 receiving yards in seven of his eight seasons. His best years came in 2018-19 when he exceeded 1,000 yards for the only two times in his career lineup.

The Steelers have competition from the New England Patriots. According to Mark Daniels of MassLive.com, the Patriots have shown some interest in Boyd. Kaboly also noted recently that the biggest hurdle in Boyd to Steelers conversation are the Kansas City Chiefs with dark horse being the New York Jets.

“At this point, the level of ‘interest’ is the team is doing its due diligence on the 29-year-old veteran, who’s played all eight NFL seasons in Cincinnati,” Daniels wrote.

Boyd would give the Patriots another slot receiver to go with Demario Douglas. The Patriots also have Kendrick Bourne, Jalen Reagor, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Tyquan Thornton, Kayshon Boutte, Kawaan Baker and T.J. Luther on their wide receiver depth chart.

The Steelers’ wide receivers room lacks more depth than even the Patriots right now. George Pickens and Calvin Austin III are their only returning receivers that received playing time in 2023. They’ll need to be urgent in the Boyd sweepstakes if they want to land him.

If the Steelers miss out on a receiver in free agency, they’ll have to draft at least two receivers. And it wouldn’t be surprising if they selected one in the first round.