Potential sticking point in deal between Tyler Boyd, Steelers revealed

The Pittsburgh Steelers are reportedly interested in veteran wide receiver Tyler Boyd, but a deal has yet to materialize, and now we might know why.

According to Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, money is currently the unsurprising sticking point, as the Steelers are hesitant to pay too much for a player they view as a No. 3 wide receiver.

Boyd, who grew up outside of Pittsburgh and played college ball at Pitt, has previously expressed an openness to playing in Pittsburgh, despite the fact that the Steelers are a main rival of the Bengals.

"You never know," Boyd said of potentially signing with the Steelers earlier this year. "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 Boyd doesn't end up signing with the Steelers this offseason, he didn't close the door on it potentially happening sometime down the road.

"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," Boyd said. "But who knows."

Boyd left his mark in Cincinnati

Boyd played the first eight seasons of his career thus far with the Bengals, and he made a major impact on the franchise. He has the fourth-most receptions in team history with 513, and his 6,000 receiving yards are the seventh-most ever by a Bengal. He's also 11th in receiving touchdowns with 31.

No matter where he signs, if it's not back in Cincinnati, it's going to be weird for Bengals fans to see him in a different uniform. Seeing him sign with the rival Steelers could be especially rough on some fans in Cincinnati who are likely hoping such a deal never comes to fruition.