Pittsburgh Native WR Would Love to Sign with Steelers
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Pittsburgh Native WR Would Love to Sign with Steelers
Pittsburgh native and veteran free agent wide receiver Tyler Boyd played in Cincinnati for eight seasons, where he played his hometown Steelers twice per year. He signed a one-year deal with the Tennessee Titans last season and saw his lowest production since 2017, his second year in the league. Boyd has 552 career catches to his name for 6,390 yards and 31 touchdowns. The Steelers could be in the market for a veteran wideout, general manager Omar Khan has been pretty coy about it. There are options out there that might be better than Boyd, but Pittsburgh hasn’t flinched yet.
Pittsburgh native and veteran free agent wide receiver Tyler Boyd played in Cincinnati for eight seasons, where he played his hometown Steelers twice per year.
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He signed a one-year deal with the Tennessee Titans last season and saw his lowest production since 2017, his second year in the league. It was an anemic offense for the Titans, and Boyd didn’t register a touchdown catch for the first time in his career.
Now, without a team, he’d like to return home to Pittsburgh, which is just just 32 miles from his birthplace of Clairton.
“Absolutely,” Boyd told Pittsburgh Sports Now. “You know, all my family is here. I’d be able to have the majority of them be able to support me. I’m real cool with [coach Mike] Tomlin,” Boyd said. “He’s always been a good person. . . . When I was at Pitt, we had a good relationship. After practice, I’d walk over there, talk to [Antonio Brown] and those guys, talk to Tomlin, and he’d just pick at different things, where I could get better and get some guidance. I think we had a great friendship.”
Boyd wasn’t just born in the Pittsburgh area, he also attended college at Pitt.
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And it might be a bit poetic for him to return to the area to potentially end his career – close to where it all started at Clairton High School.
While the Steelers could be in the market for a veteran wideout, general manager Omar Khan has been pretty coy about it.
There are options out there that might be better than Boyd, but Pittsburgh hasn’t flinched yet.
After acquiring D.K. Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks and then shipping George Pickens to Dallas via trade, the Steelers don’t have a ton of experience in the wideout room.
Boyd has 552 career catches to his name for 6,390 yards and 31 touchdowns. That seems like production the Steelers could use heading into 2025.
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Related: Josh Allen Surpasses Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger on Wacky List
Related: George Pickens’ Youth Football Camp Snub Draws Apology from Organizers
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
Steelers news: Pittsburgh native would love to sign with Steelers
Former Bengals and Titans wide receiver Tyler Boyd admitted that he would love to play for the Steelers. Boyd praised Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin for establishing a good relationship with him during his collegiate career at Pitt. The Steelers have been searching for receiver help ever since trading George Pickens away. Boyd is not the elite receiver he was in the early days of his career, but he could still be a valuable piece in Pittsburgh. He logged 39 receptions for 390 yards in 2024 with the Titans. If Boyd does sign with the Steelers, he will need to develop a good relationships with Aaron Rodgers.
Former Bengals and Titans wide receiver Tyler Boyd admitted that he would love to play for the Steelers in a recent interview.
“Absolutely,” Boyd told Pittsburgh Sports Now on Saturday, via Bryan DeArdo of CBSSports.com. “You know, all my family is here. I’d be able to have the majority of them be able to support me.”
Boyd is a Pittsburgh local, growing up in Clairton, Pennsylvania. He also played college football at Pitt.
Boyd praised Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin for establishing a good relationship with him during his collegiate career at Pitt.
“I’m real cool with [coach Mike] Tomlin,” Boyd said. “He’s always been a good person. . . . When I was at Pitt, we had a good relationship. After practice, I’d walk over there, talk to [Antonio Brown] and those guys, talk to Tomlin, and he’d just pick at different things, where I could get better and get some guidance. I think we had a great friendship.”
Boyd could be an excellent addition ahead of training camp.
Would Tyler Boyd be a good fit with Steelers, Aaron Rodgers?
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The Steelers have been searching for receiver help ever since trading George Pickens away.
Pittsburgh looked into acquiring Jonnu Smith from Miami, but ultimately decided against it. Perhaps adding a free agent like Boyd is a better route.
If Boyd does sign with the Steelers, he will need to develop a good relationship with Aaron Rodgers. The veteran QB is known for his “blunt” approach to wide receivers, which Steelers WR coach Zach Azzanni loves to see.
“I love that challenge,” he said, per the Steelers Depot X account. “I like that. I’d rather have someone that’s dialed into the detail in the perimeter, and those guys ultimately have to be on the same page. I understand that he’s hard on receivers, and I like that because I’m hard on receivers.”
Boyd is not the elite receiver he was in the early days of his career. But he could still be a valuable piece in Pittsburgh.
Boyd logged 39 receptions for 390 yards in 2024 with the Titans.
Steelers fans should keep their eyes on this situation heading into the summer.
Long-Time Steelers Rival & 2-Time 1,000-Yard WR Open to Signing in Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Steelers have quarterback Aaron Rodgers under contract. The front office could remedy that by signing veteran slot specialist Tyler Boyd. Boyd expressed interest in returning home to suit up for the Steelers while hosting a football camp for children in Clairton, Pennsylvania, on June 28. Boyd could complement second-year draft pick Roman Wilson in the slot. He’s coming off a disastrous season with the Tennessee Titans, but his yards per reception average (10.0 yards) was identical to his final year in Cincy, despite recording nearly 300 fewer receiving yards (390 compared to 667 in 2023) off 41 fewer targets. The future Hall of Fame signal-caller has always operated over the middle of the field, making slot receivers and route technicians some of his best friends as a quarterback.
As a Pittsburgh area native, Boyd expressed interest in returning home to suit up for the Steelers while hosting a football camp for children in Clairton, Pennsylvania, on June 28. Pittsburgh Sports Now reporter Austin Bechtold was on the scene to speak with the long-time Cincinnati Bengals playmaker who recorded back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns in 2018 and 2019.
“Absolutely,” Boyd replied, after being asked if he’d ever consider playing for the Steelers. “You know, all my family is here. I would be able to have… all my family able to support me.”
Boyd went on to confirm that he thinks a Pittsburgh signing is a “realistic possibility.”
“I believe so,” he said, “because I’m real cool with [head coach Mike] Tomlin. He’s always been a good person [to me], and we always wrap it up [together after the game].”
Boyd also revealed that his relationship with Tomlin goes back to his days at the University of Pittsburgh.
“We always spoke,” Boyd said of Tomlin. Adding: “I think we had a great friendship. But, I mean, if it happens, it happens. If not, you know, it is what it is.”
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Tyler Boyd’s Skillset Could Be a Match for Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers
Although the Steelers probably need another boundary wide receiver more than a slot specialist, Boyd’s skillset does match Rodgers’ typical throwing windows and preferences.
The future Hall of Fame signal-caller has always operated over the middle of the field, making slot receivers and route technicians some of his best friends as a quarterback. Think Davante Adams or Randall Cobb, two players who made a living in that area with Rodgers despite varying degrees of talent.
With DK Metcalf already operating as the true X receiver and Calvin Austin as a potential Z, or WR2, Boyd could complement second-year draft pick Roman Wilson in the slot. At the very least, providing some tips for the youngster as he continues to fine-tune his game.
Boyd is coming off a disastrous season with the Tennessee Titans, but his yards per reception average (10.0 yards) was identical to his final year in Cincy, despite recording nearly 300 fewer receiving yards (390 compared to 667 in 2023) off 41 fewer targets.
At age 31 in November, Boyd certainly isn’t the playmaker he once was, but he’s still a reliable pair of hands that could push Robert Woods for a roster spot as the veteran of the room.
Steelers Must Make WR Signing Before Week 1
Tomlin and Steelers general manager Omar Khan cannot make the same mistake as last year, hoping for pass-catchers like Austin, Wilson, Scotty Miller and Ben Skowronek to emerge as secondary weapons behind their WR1.
In 2024, the lead dog was George Pickens, but not much has really changed with Metcalf taking over for the recent cast-off.
Pittsburgh has followed a near-identical blueprint this offseason, replacing Van Jefferson with a similarly unexciting role player in Woods. And the rest of the gang is all back for another go, except with Rodgers slinging the rock around instead of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.
Is that enough to seriously alter the results?
Can Calvin Austin III Serve as Steelers No. 2 WR?
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III turned heads in Year 3 with the Steelers last season. Wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni also foresees a much bigger role for Austin in Year 4. Pittsburgh has been looking to add another wide receiver since trading George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys last month. Austin was the second wide receiver that the Steelers selected in the NFL Draft after the second round in the 2022 NFL Draft. The 26-year-old had a career-high 36 catches for 548 yards and four touchdowns last season, and also had a 73-yard punt return for a touchdown in the Steelers’ win over the New York Giants’ Week 8 win on Dec. 8, 2013. The Steelers drafted Austin with the 138th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft, and he was selected by the Steelers in the 20th pick of the 2022NFL Draft, which was held in New York.com’s New York Football Hall of Fame game on July 30, 2012.
Can Calvin Austin III Serve as Steelers No. 2 WR?
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III at practice on June 3, 2025 — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired wide receiver DK Metcalf this offseason with the hopes he could bring some much-needed big-play ability to their offense. However, Metcalf thinks another player on the Steelers roster is going to do the same alongside him this season.
That is Calvin Austin III. The shifty receiver out of Memphis turned heads in Year 3 with the Steelers last season. This season could be a breakout year for the Memphis native.
“[Calvin Austin III’s] a jitterbug out there. He’s explosive as heck,” Metcalf said. “So just looking forward to lining up with him for the rest of these last couple days of camp and then moving onto training camp, and then just starting to work off each other in different route concepts.”
Only time will tell if Austin can take his game to another level in 2025, but Metcalf wasn’t the only person who thinks that is going to happen.
Steelers wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni also foresees a much bigger role for Austin in Year 4.
“I think that No. 2 spot is all Calvin’s right now,” Azzanni said. “Really, him and DK are such different players that there’s going to be plays that he is the one guy because that’s his route, and vice versa, because they’re so different.”
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver/punt returner Calvin Austin III returning a punt for a 73-yard touchdown against the New York Giants on Oct. 28, 2024. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Pittsburgh has been looking to add another wide receiver since trading George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys last month. But if Austin can continue making strides this summer like Metcalf and Azzanni believe he will, the team’s search may be over sooner rather than later.
“I think that No. 2 spot is all Calvin [Austin III]’s right now,” Azzanni said. “Really, him and DK [Metcalf] are such different players that there’s going to be plays that he is the one guy because that’s his route, and vice versa, because they’re so different.”
Austin isn’t letting his semi-breakout season slow him down, either.
“Not glamouring over last year. I remember the fact that I’m a walk on,” Austin said. “I have notes in my phone, texts and stuff. I remember people didn’t think I would be here. My family, my dad, some of my coaches were the only people to believe in me. So that’s what really is my motivation year after year and is why going into this season, it’s not anything different or new for me.”
That has Azzanni as excited as ever for his overlooked unit.
“Everyone’s downplaying, underplaying our group right now,” Azzanni said. “I love it that way. I don’t really want anyone looking at us, anyway.”
Austin is also hearing people doubt the receivers room. That’s why he plans to keep his head down just as he always has and prove his doubters wrong.
“All I know is working,” Austin said. “I feel like that speaks to the core of me and why I feel like just, in general, I’ve never reached a point to where I’m like, ‘OK, I think I’m doing pretty good.’ There’s always something more I can improve on. That’s the only way I’ve got to be where I’m at.”
Acquired: The Steelers drafted Austin with the 138th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Austin was the second wide receiver that the Steelers selected in the 2022 NFL Draft after the team selected George Pickens in the second round.
Last Year: The 26-year-old has steadily improved every year. In 2023, he had 17 catches for 180 yards and one touchdown, and then last season, he had a career-high 36 catches for 548 yards and four touchdowns. He also had a 73-yard punt return for a touchdown in the Steelers’ Week 8 win over the New York Giants.
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III at practice on Dec. 4, 2024. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Career: Prior to the 2022 preseason, Austin aggravated a foot injury and was placed on the Steelers’ injured reserve list to start the season. After his 21-day window to return to action came and went, Austin missed his entire rookie season due to an injury. The Steelers placed Austin on the season-ending injured list on Oct. 26, 2022.
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III before a game against the Cleveland Browns on Dec. 8, 2024. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Pre-draft: Austin ran a 4.32-second 40-yard dash with a 6.65 three-cone-drill and 39-inch vertical at the NFL Scouting Combine. He scored a 9.43 Relative Athletic Score out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 151 out of 2613 WR from 1987 to 2022.
College: After a stellar high school career at Harding Academy in Memphis, Austin decided to walk on at the University of Memphis prior to the 2017 season. Austin redshirted in 2017 while the team went 10-3. He also ran on the track and field team in 2017.
In 2018, Austin appeared in four games as a wide receiver and caught two passes for 24 yards and zero touchdowns. His second-ever collegiate touch was an 83-yard jet sweep that turned into a touchdown and helped the Tigers close out their first game of the season. This was the longest run in Memphis history since 2002.
As a redshirt sophomore in 2019, played nine games at wide receiver and caught 17 passes for 315 yards and three touchdowns. Austin earned a scholarship after a game against Houston in 2019. Austin helped lead the Tigers to the 2019 AAC Championship. This was the last year that Austin ran on the track and field team for Memphis as he focused his attention on football after receiving the scholarship.
In 2020, Austin started all 11 games for the Tigers and finished the year with 63 receptions, 1,053 yards, and 11 receiving touchdowns. This included six 100-yard games and he scored in nine of the team’s 11 games. After the season, Austin was named a Burlsworth Award semifinalist.
Wide Receiver Calvin Austin III (4) during the Memphis vs. SMU Football game on 11062021.
Prior to his final collegiate season, Austin was named to the Biletnikoff Award Preseason Watchlist. As a redshirt senior in 2021, Austin played 12 games and recorded a career-high 74 receptions and 1,149 yards. In addition to the career-high in receptions and yards, he totaled eight receiving touchdowns to close out his collegiate career. After the season, Austin was invited to the Reese’s Senior Bowl and to the NFL Combine.
In total, Austin hauled in 156 receptions for 2,541 yards and 22 receiving touchdowns at Memphis. He also added three rushing touchdowns and two punt return touchdowns.
Salary cap and future: Austin is entering the fourth year of his standard four-year rookie contract and will cost $1,226,084 against the Steelers’ 2025 cap space. His salary for 2025 is $1,100,000 while he is owed a $126,084 bonus. Austin is signed with the team through the end of the 2025 season when he will become a free agent.
The rest of the 90:
Packers Trade Proposal Swaps Young WR for $112 Million All-Pro
T.J. Watt is entering the final year of his four-year, $112 million deal with the Steelers. Bleacher Report’s Mitch Milani has the Green Bay Packers as a top trade partner. Milani would send Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs, a 2026 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round picks to Pittsburgh in exchange for the All-Pro pass rusher. Green Bay is currently ranked sixth in the NFL in cap space with $35.6 million, positioning them well to absorb Watt’s contract demands and his 2025 cap hit (estimated at $30.4 million) without major financial strain. With Watt on one side and Rashan Gary on the other, Green Bay would have an undeniable one-two punch. The Steelers face a pivotal decision, with Watt likely seeking a contract in the $35 million per‑year range.
Watt, entering the final year of his four‑year, $112 million deal, has skipped both voluntary OTAs and the mandatory minicamp in what’s becoming an increasingly tense standoff that could generate fines north of $100,000 should he continue to be absent from team activities.
Considering their current needs at pass rusher, Mitch Milani of Bleacher Report put together some “blockbuster” trade proposals for Watt, and he has the Green Bay Packers as a top trade partner.
In his trade proposal, Milani would send Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs, a 2026 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick to Pittsburgh in exchange for the All-Pro pass rusher. Let’s discuss.
What’s Going on With the Steelers & Watt’s Contract?
While both the Steelers and Watt are motivated to strike a new deal before training camp, the negotiating landscape has shifted dramatically in recent years, with elite pass rushers like Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby now making upwards of $35 million annually.
With Watt likely seeking a contract in the $35 million per‑year range, the Steelers face a pivotal decision, it’s easy to see why the Packers, with decent cap space and a need for a game‑changing edge presence, could emerge as unexpected trade contenders.
Heading to play on the Frozen Tundra could be appealing to Watt, as he’s a Wisconsin native who played his college ball in his home state.
Drafted 30th overall out of the University of Wisconsin by the Steelers in 2017, Watt wasted no time making his mark. He started 15 games his rookie year, finishing with 7.0 sacks, 13 QB hits, an interception and a forced fumble while earning PFWA All‑Rookie honors.
In the following seasons, he blossomed into a defensive dynamo: in 2019, he had 14.5 sacks, tied for the league lead in forced fumbles (8) and earned his first All‑Pro nod.
Watt reached another level in 2020, leading the NFL with 15 sacks and 23 tackles for loss while also netting a ridiculous 41 QB hists, which remains a career high. He was even better in 2021, breaking the Steelers’ single-season sack record with 22.5—tying the NFL’s all-time sack record—and winning the Defensive Player of the Year award.
Despite a shortened 2022 due to injury, Watt returned in 2023 with 19 sacks—becoming the first player to lead the league in sacks three times. In 2024, he recorded his 100th career sack and again led the NFL in forced fumbles (6), earning his fifth All‑Pro nod.
A Trade for T.J. Watt Would Immediately Transform the Green Bay Packers Defense
Green Bay’s pass‑rush isn’t bad, but the group lacks a bona‑fide superstar. While they have a solid edge in Rashan Gary, Lukas Van Ness has yet to consistently produce any type of pressure across a full season. Watt’s arrival would instantly elevate Green Bay’s entire defensive line. With Watt on one side and Gary on the other, Green Bay would have an undeniable one-two punch.
Green Bay is currently ranked sixth in the NFL in cap space with $35.6 million, positioning them well to absorb Watt’s contract demands and his 2025 cap hit (estimated at $30.4 million) without major financial strain.
There has been little evidence the Steelers want to move on from Watt. For much of the past decade, he has been a staunch team leader and remains one of the best in the business. But if he decides he wants to move on, anything is possible — and heading home to Wisconsin to play for a contender could be a alluring idea. Cross those fingers and hope for a miracle, Packer Nation.