Tyler Boyd

Titans, WR Tyler Boyd Agree To Deal

May 7th, 2024 at 10:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

Tyler Boyd‘s free agency is set to come to an end. The veteran wideout has agreed to a one-year deal with the Titans, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.

This agreement has a maximum value of $4.5MM, Fowler adds. Boyd is the latest receiver to find a new home in the post-draft wave of free agency, after the likes of Michael Gallup, DJ Chark and Odell Beckham Jr. signed deals of their own last week. This agreement will allow Boyd to continue working with Brian Callahan.

The latter worked alongside Boyd during his time as the Bengals’ offensive coordinator before taking on Tennessee’s head coaching gig this offseason. His debut season at the helm of the Titans will include a familiar face operating in the slot. Boyd – who included the Titans on his list of free agent visits – had spent his entire eight-year career in Cincinnati prior to today’s news.

With Tee Higgins in need of the franchise tag (and/or a long-term extension) and Ja’Marr Chase set to receive one of the league’s most lucrative receiver deals in the near future, though, signs have long pointed to Boyd heading elsewhere this offseason. The 29-year-old was reported to have a mutual interest in a deal sending him to his hometown Steelers, but the sides could not find common ground on contract terms. That left him free to pursue deals with other teams, and a number of potential suitors emerged.

Tennessee already made a massive investment at the receiver position this offseason, prying Calvin Ridley away from the Jaguars and Patriots. The former first-rounder landed a four-year, $92MM featuring almost $47MM guaranteed at signing. The Ridley addition, in turn, came just one year after the Titans added DeAndre Hopkins; the latter is under contract for one more season. The team also has 2022 first-rounder Treylon Burks in the fold, but Boyd will look to compete for a starting role.

The former second-rounder topped 800 yards each season between 2018-21, twice eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark during that span. With Chase and Higgins taking on a major share in the Bengals’ passing game, though, Boyd has seen his usage and production decline in recent years. In 2023, he posted 667 yards, the second-lowest total of his career in a full season. The low cost of this Titans deal illustrates how his market was viewed around the league.

A strong season from Boyd will help his chances of landing a more lucrative accord next offseason, but for now he will turn his attention to serving as a dependable complementary option for quarterback Will Levis. Tennessee also hosted wideout Zay Jones yesterday, but this Boyd deal will likely take them out of the running for further free agent additions.

Latest On Steelers’ WR Situation

May 4th, 2024 at 10:06pm CST by Adam La Rose

In the build-up to the draft, the Steelers were frequently connected to a wide receiver trade. No such move took place over the weekend, though, and Pittsburgh has not been active in the post-draft wave of free agency to date.

The Steelers placed a heavy emphasis on the offensive line, using first- (tackle Troy Fautanu), second- (center Zach Frazier) and fourth- (guard Mason McCormick) round selections up front. The team also added a wideout by taking Michigan alum Roman Wilson in the third round, but there is room in the lineup for an experienced pass-catcher to play opposite George Pickens. As veteran dominoes have fallen in recent days, however, Pittsburgh has not added at the position.

Michael Gallup, DJ Chark and Odell Beckham Jr. have each landed one-year deals this week, thinning out the pool of available options. With a blockbuster trade involving either Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel no longer an option based on 49ers general manager John Lynch‘s recent comments, it would come as a surprise if Pittsburgh pulled off a player swap at this time. Indeed, Steelers GM Omar Khan confirmed during a Pat McAfee Show appearance that nothing is currently imminent regarding a receiver addition (video link).

One of the top free agents still on the market is Tyler Boyd, who was linked to his hometown team early in free agency. Pittsburgh now faces plenty of competition for the ex-Bengal’s services, though, and the team’s price point on a contract offer remains too low for a deal to be worked out. On that point, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic notes the Steelers are not prepared to offer a multi-year pact, something Boyd is seeking (subscription required). For that reason, Kaboly confirms a Boyd-to-Pittsburgh agreement is still “highly unlikely” at this time.

In addition to Pickens and Wilson, the Steelers’ WR room features the likes of Calvin Austin, Van Jefferson, Quez Watkins, Marquez Callaway and Denzel Mims. With over $18MM in cap space, the team could afford to bring in another option, but it will be interesting to see if Khan pursues one of the remaining veterans or allows the current group to compete for roster spots in training camp.

Tyler Boyd Visits Chargers, To Meet With Titans

May 1st, 2024 at 4:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

Teams have more incentive to sign free agents following the draft, when the market presents opportunities. The deadline for signings to affect the 2025 compensatory formula expired this week, opening the door for some players to find new homes ahead of offseason work.

Tyler Boyd remains unsigned, but that may not be the case for long. The longtime Bengals wide receiver met with the Chargers this week, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, who adds the Titans have a Boyd meeting scheduled as well. Boyd will be in Nashville later this week.

Among the teams linked to Boyd earlier this offseason, the Chargers still have an apparent need at wideout. The team traded Keenan Allen — the second-longest-tenured receiver in franchise history — to the Bears and released Mike Williams as the cap compliance deadline neared. Williams joined the Jets. The Bolts passed on filling their receiver need with Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze — the latter joining Allen in Chicago — to draft Joe Alt at No. 5. We had heard continued rumblings the Bolts would proceed this way, and even though the team added Georgia’s Ladd McConkey in Round 2, it is arguable it still needs help at the position.

Los Angeles also drafted two receivers in Round 7 — USC’s Brenden Rice and ex-Jim Harbaugh Michigan charge Cornelius Johnson. That presents a complication for a team that does still roster Josh Palmer and 2023 first-round pick Quentin Johnston. The latter struggled to acclimate as a rookie, but the team will still expect development in Year 2. With the Chargers not making a secret they plan to commit to the run game, they probably are not too eager to pay much for a veteran receiver.

The Titans have more money invested at the position, beating out the Jaguars and Patriots to sign Calvin Ridley (four years, $96MM) while still rostering 2023 addition DeAndre Hopkins. The latter is under contact at an $8.27MM salary on his two-year deal. The Titans saw Hopkins, 31, shake off his run of injuries and stay healthy last season — his seventh 1,000-yard campaign. They also carry 2022 first-rounder Treylon Burks, but the Arkansas alum — acquired shortly after the A.J. Brown trade — has not panned out just yet. This Tennessee regime also did not draft Brown, with Jon Robinson and Mike Vrabel since fired.

Tennessee does feature a familiar face for Boyd in new HC Brian Callahan, the Bengals’ OC for the previous five seasons. Boyd produced three straight 800-plus-yard seasons — including a 1,000-yard showing in 2019 — in Callahan’s first three seasons. Boyd is coming off a down year (67 receptions, 667 yards, two touchdowns), but so is Tee Higgins. Joe Burrow‘s injury impacted Cincy’s receiving corps across the board.

Boyd, 29, was also linked to the Chiefs, 49ers, Lions, Dolphins and Steelers before the draft. Mutual interest in a Boyd return to his hometown (Pittsburgh) existed, but the former second-round pick’s asking price proved too high for the Steelers. With signings no longer affecting the compensatory formula, teams are traditionally more willing at this time of year to add midlevel free agents. Boyd, who has made his bones in the slot, continues to command interest as an auxiliary option.

Latest On Dolphins’ WR Pursuit

April 6th, 2024 at 9:26am CST by Ben Levine

The Dolphins continue to search for a third receiver behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, but the team isn’t willing to break the bank for the position. A league source that has talked with the Dolphins believes the organization is only willing to spend “a few million” on another wideout, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

The team reportedly made an offer to Odell Beckham Jr., and Jackson says the veteran “remains Miami’s top choice” for the role. Jackson also passes along that the two sides have continued to speak about a potential deal, but the writer believes OBJ isn’t looking for a significant discount on the $15MM he earned from the Ravens in 2023. In that case, the Dolphins’ offer of a “few million” might not be enough.

The organization has also been mentioned as a suitor for free agent Tyler Boyd. However, the long-time Bengals wideout isn’t looking to take a major pay cut on the $10.3MM he earned last season, per Jackson. Hill has pushed for the Dolphins to pursue Michael Thomas, but Jackson says the front office has been “more mindful” of pursuing players with significant injury histories.

The Dolphins will likely continue to be patient until after the draft, and Jackson believes the organization would be comfortable filling that WR3 hole with a rookie. In that scenario, the Dolphins would probably take themselves out of the running for the top remaining free agent WRs.

Cedrick Wilson Jr. served as the team’s third wideout in 2022 and 2023, but he left for the Saints this offseason. Besides Hill, Waddle, and slot receiver Braxton Berrios, the rest of the current WR depth chart lacks experience. That grouping includes River Cracraft, Braylon Sanders, Erik Ezukanma, and Anthony Schwartz.

Chargers, Dolphins, Lions, 49ers In On WR Tyler Boyd?

April 2nd, 2024 at 1:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Tyler Boyd has been connected to a host of teams this offseason. The veteran remains one of the market’s top wide receivers, but the longtime Bengals slot presence clearly has not seen his market reach an acceptable price point.

Tied to the Chiefs, Jets and his hometown Steelers thus far, Boyd may have some other options. The Chargers, Dolphins, Lions and 49ers each showed some preliminary interest in the eight-year veteran, The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly notes (subscription required). A few of these teams still have need at the position.

The Lions had hoped to retain Josh Reynolds, but with the team expecting Jameson Williams to grow into a No. 2 wideout role alongside Amon-Ra St. Brown, a lower-end offer emerged. Reynolds then decided to sign with the Broncos, leaving the Lions with an ancillary need at wide receiver. Considering what Reynolds ended up signing for in Denver (two years, $9MM), his Lions offer does not seem to indicate the team is comfortable spending much on a receiver — especially during an offseason in which St. Brown could sign a top-tier extension.

Odell Beckham Jr. has already negotiated terms with the Dolphins, who have submitted an offer. But the former Giants superstar remains unsigned. The Dolphins are believed to be looking for a WR3 as well, though they probably have Lions-like plans here due to Tyreek Hill‘s market-setting contract. The team could still keep Jaylen Waddle on a low-end salary for 2024 — with his soon-to-be-exercised fifth-year option tying him to Miami through 2025 — while dropping Tua Tagovailoa‘s 2024 cap number ($23.2MM) by a bit via an extension. That would open a salary slot for a one-year WR rental.

The 49ers devoting much in the way of funds to another wide receiver would be highly unlikely, considering Deebo Samuel‘s salary and Brandon Aiyuk‘s fifth-year option residing on their cap sheet. The Chargers, however, would make more sense because of the team’s cost-cutting decisions — cutting Mike Williams (now a Jet) and trading Keenan Allen to the Bears — last month. The Bolts have been connected to a wideout at No. 5 overall, but the team is open for business with that pick as the Jim Harbaugh era begins.

Circling back to the Boyd-Steelers path, a return home for the Pittsburgh alum now may be on the unlikely side. Boyd, 29, showed significant interest in returning home early in free agency; the Steelers were also onboard with a signing. Despite the Steelers having a need after trading Diontae Johnson, Kaboly adds the ship has likely sailed here. Boyd was not pleased with the offer the Steelers made. The team, which has been known to identify quality receiving talent in the draft, set a firm price point here recently.

With Reynolds off the market, Beckham, Boyd, Hunter Renfrow, Michael Thomas and Marquez Valdes-Scantling represent the top players still available at this high-profile position. It appears Boyd will have a chance to land somewhere soon, but it might be at a rate lower than he expected. Boyd played out a four-year, $43MM extension with the Bengals last season.

Latest On Steelers, WR Tyler Boyd

March 29th, 2024 at 2:37pm CST by Adam La Rose

Tyler Boyd is one of several veteran wideouts still on the market, and Steelers connections persist in his case. The chance of a Pittsburgh deal remains, but the team appears to have set a firm price point.

A mutual interest was reported to exist between Boyd and his hometown team early in free agency. The 29-year-old has faced an uncertain future with the Bengals for some time now, owing to his contract status and that of fellow receivers Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase. Both represent higher priorities on lucrative new deals, leaving Boyd on track to join a new team this offseason for the first time in his career.

The Diontae Johnson-less Steelers are a logical landing spot for the former second-rounder. Mark Kaboly of The Athletic notes, though, that Pittsburgh has made an offer to Boyd and is not prepared to increase it. The latter would take on a starter’s role in a receiver room which saw Johnson get traded to the Panthers after Allen Robinson‘s release. Numerous complementary players (including Quez Watkins and return specialist Cordarrelle Patterson) have been added, but Boyd would provide an experienced slot producer.

The latter recorded at least 828 yards every year from 2018-21, but he has seen his role in the offense diminish with the emergence of Chase and Higgins. Boyd notched 667 yards and two touchdowns in 2023, a notable step back from his production of years past. Given his age, though, the Pitt alum could still be an effective contributor in a Steelers offense which figures to be run-heavy under new OC Arthur Smith.

The Chiefs and Jets were also named as potential landing spots for Boyd. However, Kansas City has since signed Marquise Brown, while New York has brought in Mike Williams. Any further WR moves from those teams would likely come during the upcoming draft as a result. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin recently noted the depth of highly-acclaimed wideouts in the 2024 class, and Pittsburgh will have a number of opportunities to add a rookie at the position.

Boyd’s market has not seen much movement in recent weeks, so it will be interesting to see how he proceeds. His now-expired Bengals contract carried an average of $10.75MM over four years. An AAV or term matching that pact would come as a surprise this offseason, but he could still manage to land a notable short-term contract if a team other that the Steelers were to emerge as a serious suitor.

Jets Still Interested In Odell Beckham Jr.?

March 19th, 2024 at 1:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Ravens swooped in for Odell Beckham Jr. last year, adding the former Pro Bowler with an offer that surpassed where the Jets were willing to go. But Beckham confirmed he is set to be a Baltimore one-and-done, opening the door to the talented pass catcher joining a fifth NFL team.

The Jets came up over the weekend as a team to watch on the OBJ front once again, and SNY’s Connor Hughes adds some in the organization remain high on the former Giants star. While the Jets certainly do not believe Beckham is particularly close to his peak at this point, the team appears to remain on the radar to sign the 31-year-old receiver a year after missing out.

It took a $15MM guarantee for the Ravens to add Beckham last year, though Hughes indicates the Jets were eyeing a deal that could have neared the $12MM mark. This differs from an April 2023 report that suggested the Jets were eyeing Beckham on a low base salary. The team would not be targeting OBJ at anything close to that $12MM number now, per Hughes, but the nine-year veteran and Aaron Rodgers have discussed the prospect of playing together on several occasions.

Last year’s Jets receiver plan busted, with Garrett Wilson still effectively on his own. While Beckham appeared a luxury on a team that added Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman early in free agency, neither signing worked out. Beckham was not especially consistent in Baltimore, but his 565-yard, three-TD season far outpaced the production Lazard, Harman and Randall Cobb gave the Jets. Bringing in another of Rodgers’ preferred targets would come with risk, given the 2023 performances of Lazard and Cobb, but the team remains pot-committed to the outspoken quarterback. With the Jets still a Rodgers-centric operation, it would surprise if Beckham was not strongly considered.

Tyler Boyd is still on the team’s radar, with Hughes adding Wilson has made recruiting pitches to the former Bengals slot player. Though, the Jets view Wilson as capable of doing the most damage in the slot; this could hinder a pursuit of a veteran who has spent much of his career in the slot. The Jets have hosted Mike Williams as a free agent, joining the Panthers and Steelers in scheduling a meeting with the recently released talent.

As the team will be adding to its receiver stable soon, the draft will be an avenue to do so as well. For now, the Jets’ attention is on the veteran market. Beckham could be a backup plan, but given Rodgers’ influence in the building, they may also be the favorites (once again) for the former Super Bowl-winning wideout.

Steelers, WR Tyler Boyd Showing Mutual Interest

March 18th, 2024 at 5:00pm CST by Ely Allen

MARCH 18: Providing an update on the situation, Kaboly notes there are some within the Steelers’ organization who are “not 100% on board” with a Boyd agreement. A Pittsburgh agreement could still be in the works, but he adds such a development seems less likely now than it did last week. The Chiefs and Jets could be in on Boyd if he does not join his hometown team.

MARCH 13: The Steelers refuse to shy away from talent in their own division this offseason. A day after signing rival Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen, Pittsburgh is reportedly sharing mutual interest with long-time Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd, per Mark Kaboly of The Athletic.

Boyd hasn’t quite been a priority for Cincinnati as they deal with the potential future extensions of Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase. That tune is sure to change after Higgins requested a trade in response to being franchise-tagged two days ago. Despite falling to third in the pecking order in recent years, Boyd showed that he was more than capable of producing in a WR2 role when Higgins missed five games this season.

Boyd’s best production came at the tail end of his rookie contract, when he caught 166 passes for 2,074 yards and 12 touchdowns over the 2018 and 2019 seasons. That production was enough for the Bengals to sign Boyd to a four-year, $43MM extension, which just expired. While Boyd has failed to reach 1,000 yards receiving or seven touchdowns since, he’s still provided strong contributions despite competing with Chase and Higgins for targets.

Boyd’s 667 receiving yards and two touchdowns in 2023 were his lowest season totals since his sophomore season, when he missed six games. Further muddying a potential continued future in his current home is the Bengals’ notorious avoidance of doling out third contracts to veterans.

Pittsburgh makes sense for Boyd, since he played in Acrisure Stadium (Heinz Field at that time) for all of his college years as a Pitt Panther. A Pittsburgh-area-native out of Clairton HS, signing with the division-rival Steelers would be a homecoming for Boyd. Throw in the recent departure of veteran wideout Diontae Johnson via trade last night, and Boyd fits right in. In Pittsburgh, Boyd would immediately become a starting veteran presence in a receiving corps that currently only boasts George Pickens as an experienced starter.

It’s seems to be a move that makes sense for both parties. Cincinnati may decide that Boyd is worth breaking their precious custom, as they did with Trey Hendrickson last year, in order to keep their receiving trio together. Pittsburgh may opt to go a younger route in free agency or even through the draft. The Steelers do often hit on their draft swings at wide receiver, but Boyd’s experience could be just what Russell Wilson needs in 2024.

Chiefs, Jets Interested In WR Tyler Boyd?

March 14th, 2024 at 10:15am CST by Sam Robinson

A Tyler Boyd market has formed in the AFC. The Bengals Tee Higgins franchise tag and future Ja’Marr Chase payment, in all likelihood, makes a third Boyd contract unrealistic. But three other AFC teams are believed to be in on the veteran slot receiver.

In addition to Boyd’s hometown Steelers, The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly notes the Chiefs and Jets are believed to have interest in the eight-year wide receiver. While the Jets were not believed to be in on Boyd recently, per The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt, players are believed to be recruiting the former 1,000-yard receiver.

Each team needs receiver help. The Steelers cut Allen Robinson and traded Diontae Johnson, while the Chiefs trudged through an uneven year — despite said season ending with another Super Bowl title — at the position. They have since released Marquez Valdes-Scantling and missed out on Darnell Mooney. Kansas City was also believed to be interested in a pitch for Mike Evans, who re-signed with the Buccaneers.

The Jets’ effort to add receiving talent to complement Garrett Wilson bombed in 2023. The Mecole Hardman whiff became the Chiefs’ gain (and might bring a tampering investigation, as Joe Douglas hinted), while the Randall Cobb and Allen Lazard pickups did not move the needle, either. Lazard received $22MM guaranteed at signing, keeping the former Packer in the mix despite a disappointing Jets debut. But the team was linked to both Evans and Davante Adams recently.

Boyd is not on those stars’ level, but he did make regular contributions to the Joe Burrow-era Bengals teams after commanding an eight-figure-per-year extension while working with Andy Dalton in the 2010s. Boyd, 29, posted two 1,000-yard seasons with Dalton and cleared 750 yards from 2020-22. Last season, the big-bodied slot target totaled just 667 yards — still more than Higgins’ total — and two TDs, with Burrow’s injury contributing to the dip. With Mooney, Gabe Davis and Calvin Ridley off the board, markets like this one come into focus.

Bengals Set To Face Challenge To Young Culture

June 10th, 2023 at 5:59pm CST by Ely Allen

The Bengals have established a pattern in recent years that show they prize youth and tend not to sign players to third contracts. After past days of paying staples like Geno Atkins, Carlos Dunlap, and A.J. Green, Cincinnati has flipped gears, allowing such mainstays as C.J. Uzomah, Vonn Bell, and Giovani Bernard to walk in favor of younger players. Center Ted Karras is the only starter currently in his 30s, and backups safety Michael Thomas and quarterback Trevor Siemian are the only others on the roster older than him.

This newfound aversion to paying players into their 30s will be put to the test in the next two years, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. Next year will be a contract year for cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, wide receiver Tyler Boyd, and defensive tackle D.J. Reader, all currently wrapping up their second contracts. The following offseason will see the pending free agency of defensive end Trey Hendrickson, as well. If recent tradition holds true, none of the four would don striped helmets in 2025. These four present a great challenge to the Bengals’ young philosophy.

Perhaps projecting this exact philosophy, Cincinnati used three draft picks on these positions, selecting pass rusher Myles Murphy in the first round, cornerback DJ Turner II in the second round, and wide receiver Charlie Jones in the fourth round. Jones doesn’t quite have the size to be an eventual replacement for Boyd, but Murphy and Turner seem like clear attempts to bolster the future at those two positions.

You’ll notice Reader didn’t have a possible replacement drafted. Dehner asserts that of all the aging players, Reader stands the best chance of returning on a third contract. Ever since arriving from Houston, Reader has played at another level for the Bengals. He’s a captain and the spirit of the team’s defense. Dehner asserts that the benefits of milking every last ounce of football talent out of Reader outweigh the risks of taking on a portion of his eventual decline. The Bengals may need some convincing, though, as interior defensive linemen rarely display top play into their 30s. Reader turns 29 at the turn of this month.

Hendrickson likely holds the spot as the next most-likely candidate for a third contract. An underrated addition when he came over from New Orleans, Hendrickson has been nothing short of a star in Cincinnati. He followed up an impressive contract year as a Saint with two straight Pro Bowl seasons, including one with 14.0 sacks. Hendrickson turns 29 this December, meaning the Saints will have to consider whether to bring him back for any of his 30s next offseason. Truly talented pass rushers are hard to come by, so if Hendrickson performs to his usual potential, it should be an easy decision for the Bengals. Any injuries or setbacks in production, though, could put his future with the team in jeopardy.

Of course, this is all purely academic as of right now. The Bengals recent moves could all be coincidental, or they could be working on a case-by-case basis with none yet meeting the requirements necessary to reach a third contract. Regardless, Reader, Hendrickson, Boyd, and Awuzie are all headed towards that eventual consideration. Will they be the first to buck the team’s recent trends or will Cincinnati’s roster continue to be one of the youngest in the league?

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