The Pittsburgh Steelers have, surprisingly, developed into one of the better teams in the AFC this year. The defense has been dynamic, while the offense has clicked as of late. By all accounts, this team seems to be gearing up for a potential run. Week 7's crushing loss was definitely a setback, but it unfortunately should have been no surprise.
However, one can’t help but look at former Steelers starter George Pickens and wonder just how good he would have made this offense.
While the Cowboys have struggled to win games, it hasn’t been because of Pickens. He is playing the best football of his young career and is on pace to be a top receiver this year. He is currently third in the league in receiving yards while already adding six touchdowns to his resume.
Simply put, Pickens is playing at an All-Pro level. Unfortunately for the Steelers, this isn’t the first time that a change of scenery has helped a struggling player reach their ceiling.
George Pickens stardom points to a bigger problem with the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pickens, to his credit, wasn’t bad with the Steelers. He consistently had highlight reel moments and produced as a low-end starter by league standards. For a Pittsburgh team that has been in flux at quarterback and has focused on the run, it was a good run.
That said, he never achieved the heights he has so far with the Cowboys. Part of that is the system; Pickens is in an offense that can better utilize his vertical ability, but this sudden jump makes you question the Steelers' development ability.
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We saw a similar story unfold with Kevin Dotson a few years ago. He was a hot-and-cold player during his Steelers tenure before being traded to the Rams. Since joining Los Angeles, he has become one of the better guards in the league.
We’ve seen this in-house as well. It feels like young names like Broderick Jones, Keeanu Benton, and even Joey Porter played their best football early on and have never taken that step forward. One has to wonder what would happen if/when they play on a different team.
For the longest time, the Steelers seemingly got the most out of their players before moving one. Sure, you had the occasional Emmanuel Sanders situation, but for the most part, when Pittsburgh was done with you, you were done.
Now, teams are getting great value from castoff players. Dotson is comfortably a top guard in the league, while Pickens is playing at an extremely high level. Development is quickly becoming a concern for this team.