3 potential landing spots for Tyler Boyd if he leaves Bengals in free agency

After eight seasons in Cincinnati, wide receiver Tyler Boyd is headed for free agency, and most signs point to the veteran pass-catcher finding a new NFL home over the offseason.

Boyd had a terrific run with the Bengals. He's fourth in franchise history in total receptions with 513, and he's seventh in total receiving yards with exactly 6,000. He's also 11th in receiving touchdowns with 31.

He's not necessarily a guy the Bengals want to lose, but considering the amount of money that the team has to invest in top receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, it seems likely that Boyd will find a larger role -- and a bigger bag -- elsewhere.

Here's a look at three potential landing spots for Boyd if he does indeed leave Cincinnati.

Pittsburgh Steelers

When it comes to Boyd, the Steelers have the hometown advantage. Boyd grew up in Clairton, Pennsylvania, just outside of Pittsburgh, and he played college football at Pitt. Plus, he is very fond of Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, who he has publicly referred to as a father figure.

Given all of these connections, would Boyd choose to sign with one of Cincinnati's biggest rivals? He didn't rule out the possibility when asked about it earlier this year.

"You never know," Boyd said of potentially signing with the Steelers. "I love Coach [Mike] Tomlin. He's probably one of the realest dudes in the sport's business. Obviously, I played at Pitt, and I had a lot of run-ins with him and talked to him just about football. His personality is more like a father figure. It's a great connection, but who knows? Even if I don't go after this year, I could do a one-year deal at the end of my career and maybe finish up, but who knows."

This would probably be a tough one for Bengals fans to stomach.