Pittsburgh Native and Former Bengals Player Wants to Sign with the Steelers
After a one-year stint with the Tennessee Titans, wide receiver Tyler Boyd is a free agent. The former Cincinnati Bengals star wants to return home and play for the Steelers. While at his yearly camp in his hometown of Clairton, Pennsylvania, Boyd was asked if he’d like to play for the Steelers. He answered, “Absolutely.” Boyd added, “You know, all my family is here. I’d be able to have the majority, all of my family, be able to support me.” He grew up a Steelers fan. Boyd would be a natural fit for the Steelers.
Boyd believes that he has a great relationship with Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. Boyd said, “I’m real cool with head coach Mike Tomlin. He’s always been a good person. When I was at Pitt, we had a good relationship. After practice, I’d walk over there and talk to AB, Antonio Brown, and those guys, talk to Tomlin, just pick at different things where I could get better, and get a feel of some guidance. He was always a great guy, and we always spoke. I think we had a great friendship.”
Boyd is already connected to Western Pennsylvania football. He played football for Clairton High School. Boyd set a WPIAL record by amassing 117 touchdowns. He played collegiate football for the Pittsburgh Panthers. Boyd earned second-team All-ACC honors as a college freshman in 2013. He set Panthers freshman records for receptions with 85 and receiving yards with 1,174. He was named first-team All-ACC in 2014 and 2015.
The Bengals chose Boyd in round three of the 2016 NFL Draft. He spent eight seasons with the team. Throughout his tenure with the Bengals, Boyd amassed 513 catches for 6,000 yards and 31 touchdowns. During his time with the Titans, he played in 16 games. Boyd had 39 catches for 390 yards. This is not representative of his skill. The Titans cycled through quarterbacks and frequently pushed Boyd into mismatched alignments.
Boyd’s familial and emotional ties to Pittsburgh, along with his relationship with Tomlin, are clear indicators of his desire to play for the Steelers. His familiarity with the AFC North and playoff pressure would be advantageous to the Steelers. Boyd has postseason experience with multiple Bengals playoff runs and playing in Super Bowl LVI. He could also serve as a mentor to receivers Roman Wilson and Calvin Austin III. Boyd would be an affordable and low-risk addition to the team. Fans and coaching staff already know who he is. Signing Boyd would be an excellent way for the Steelers to strengthen their wide receiver roster.
