George Pickens' name has been linked in trade rumors for months now. After the Pittsburgh Steelers gave the young wide receiver every opportunity to mature, Pickens' antics continued.
During his second season in 2023, Pickens came under fire after an abysmal blocking effort against the Indianapolis Colts. In Week 5 of the 2024 season Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, Pickens jogged his routes and made it impossible for Justin Fields to find his top target.
As recent as the Week 18 season-finale against the Cincinnati Bengals—in a must-win game with Wild Card playoff matchups on the line—Pickens didn't show up to play. He caught one pass for zero yards on six targets in the Steelers' 17-19 loss.
Because of the headaches that Pickens caused, many believe the Steelers would attempt to give him the Diontae Johnson treatment and trade him during the 2025 offseason. This won't be the case. On February 25, Steelers general manager Omar Khan addressed the media at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis where he confidently expressed that Pickens will be part of Pittsburgh's future plans.
“Had a really solid exit meeting with GP, and I can tell you that he has a desire to be great," Khan explained via Brooke Pryor on X. "He has a desire to be great here. We have a desire for him to be great and to be great here.”
Steelers must leave all options on the table with George Pickens
George Pickens is gearing up for his fourth NFL offseason, and quite frankly, not much has changed. After an impressive 2023 season with a lackluster quarterback combination of Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph at the helm, we expected big things from Pickens in 2024. However, injuries and inconsistencies got in the way.
Pickens possessed otherworldly ball skills and downfield tracking ability from Day 1, but his route running and effort have shown little improvement over the years. If Pickens isn't going to be one the most complete receivers in the league, the Steelers can't keep putting up with his pouting and undesirable responses to the media.
While Khan could be trying to salvage Pickens' reputation (and even his trade value) with his latest comments at the NFL Combine, it looks like Pittsburgh's top wideout isn't going anywhere. Still, every option must be on the table in case things go south, and the Steelers shouldn't rule out a trade.
If Pickens has another repeat season of what we saw in 2024, fans have the right to question why the team didn't move on from him in the offseason. The young wide receiver has been accused of having a 'me-first' attitude instead of the 'team-first' mentality required for success.
Pickens' history makes him a scary candidate for a lucrative contract extension. If the polarizing receiver gets his guaranteed money and still displays lackluster effort or only shows up when he feels like it, the Steelers will be out of luck. But if Omar Khan and the front office aren't willing to give him an extension they feel comfortable with, they will keep Pickens on a one-year rental basis instead of trading him now for draft capital.
If keeping Pickens around goes south, Steelers fans will have the right to be upset with the front office for not sending him packing during the 2025 offseason.