In the Pittsburgh Steelers’ search for a WR2 to replace Diontae Johnson, one of the biggest names they have been linked to is former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd.
He has spent years as a reliable receiver in the AFC North and has expressed interest in playing for the Steelers because of his ties to the area.
With the team needing a receiver in a quickly shrinking market, it seemed like a great fit.
However, the two sides haven’t been able to get a deal done.
The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly even called the Steelers a “long shot” to land Boyd on April 2.
Now it has been revealed that there is one really good reason that there has been no deal.
According to 93.7 The Fan’s Andrew Fillipponi, the Steelers only offered Boyd a contract worth $10 million over two years.
Boyd’s Solid Career in Cincinnati
Boyd has never been a star in the NFL, but he has been pretty good over the course of his eight seasons with the Bengals.
Boyd was able to make an impact on his rookie contract. He went over 1000 yards in the third and fourth seasons in the league.
That earned him a nice raise from the Bengals on his second contract. They gave him a deal worth $43 million over four years.
His numbers dipped after signing the deal as the team introduced some major target competition, but he was still able to make a strong contribution for the Bengals.
He went over 750 yards in three of the last four seasons despite playing with a backup QB for much of two of those seasons and falling behind Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins on the depth chart in the last three years.
His consistent production throughout his career should have made Boyd an appealing option in free agency this offseason and he was likely expecting quite a bit more money than what the Steelers offered when considering the contracts that other receivers have gotten this offseason.
Money Being Thrown Around at WR
There weren’t a lot of big names available in free agency at wide receiver this offseason, but there has still been plenty of money thrown around in deals for receivers over the last few weeks.
There are six receivers who have already gotten more yearly money than what the Steelers were offering Boyd.
Players like Hollywood Brown and Calvin Ridley getting more money than Boyd isn’t a surprise, but the other four haven’t put up numbers like Boyd in their careers.
Darnell Mooney had 31 catches for 414 yards in 2023. This offseason he signed a deal with the Falcons that is worth $13 million per year.
Gabe Davis just got a deal of his own from the Jaguars that is worth $13 million per year. His best season in the league saw him make 48 catches for 836 yards.
Mike Williams’ production has been similar to Boyd’s in his career and he is coming off of an ACL tear. He got $10 million for the 2024 season from the Jets.
Curtis Samuel hasn’t reached 700 yards since 2020. The Bills gave him $8 million per year.
Josh Reynolds has only reached 600 yards in a season twice. He just got $4.5 million to be the WR3 for the Broncos.
When considering the deals that these other wide receivers signed, it’s no surprise that Boyd wasn’t interested in the $5 million per year that the Steelers offered him.
