George Pickens-less Steelers wide receiver room might be the worst in the NFL

If we were to name three players on the Steelers roster who couldn't afford to get hurt during the 2024 season, George Pickens is one of them. The uber-talented 23-year-old wide receiver already looks like a superstar and he's Pittsburgh's go-to option in the passing game.

Unfortunately, Pickens suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain just days before Pittsburgh's Week 14 matchup against the Cleveland Browns. While the Steelers pulled through without their top weapon, the results in the passing game weren't pretty.

Scotty Miller, who was a healthy scratch the previous two weeks, led all Steelers wide receivers with 3 catches for 38 yards in this contest, while Van Jefferson and Calvin Austin III combined for 14 yards on five targets. Trade acquisition Mike Williams saw an uptick in targets (4) and chipped in 36 yards.

This led to a pedestrian stat line for Russell Wilson, as the Steelers quarterback completed 15 of 26 passes for a mere 158 yards against the Browns in Week 14.

Now the latest rumors suggest Pickens could miss three more games, and Steelers fans have a right to be worried.

Steelers' WR room hits rock-bottom without George Pickens

I'm not exaggerating when I say that the Pittsburgh Steelers might have the worst wide receiver room in the NFL when you take George Pickens out of the mix. Obviously, there's no way to measure this, but I fear the results without 'GP' on the field will speak for themselves.

With Pickens sidelined, Calvin Austin — who stands at 5'7 3/4'' and weighs 170 — has been running as the top wide receiver in positional drills during practice.

The rest of the wide receiver room is even less spectacular. The 30-year-old Mike Williams is averaging 0.8 receptions and 13.6 yards per game in five contests with the Steelers since joining the team, while Van Jefferson — who has been credited with starting 10 of 13 games — has just 18 receptions on 30 targets for 231 yards this season.

The room is rounded out by Scotty Miller and Ben Skowronek — two reserve receivers who aren't much worse than the guys ahead of them.

Between these five receivers, the Steelers not only have one of the cheapest wide receiver rooms in the entire NFL, but they also have spent just one compensatory fourth-round pick invested in terms of draft capital.

This unit has a lot to prove, and they're about to get the ultimate task — beginning with the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15. Sadly, this isn't a talented group without George Pickens, and the severe lack of talent at wide receiver could have devastating effects on the offense in the coming weeks.