1. George Pickens, WR
I never wanted this to be the case when it came to George Pickens, but I can't say that I'm surprised by the way things have transpired between the talented wide receiver and the organization. I was high on Pickens entering the 2022 NFL Draft but understood that the young receiver could potentially come with some unwanted baggage.
Pickens' personality was said to have rubbed some NFL executives the wrong way, and there were reports that several teams removed him from their draft board completely. This is the reason the former five-star recruit and number two receiving recruit in the nation fell to Pittsburgh in the second round, to begin with.
Sadly, after two years, we can no longer ignore the distraction that is George Pickens. He has given up on the team at times this year with lackadaisical blocking and route running. The most egregious came in a play against the Colts where he failed to block for RB Jaylen Warren on what would have been a touchdown run.
Potential, talent, and upside only mean so much if you are losing the locker room as a result. Pickens has not proven to be a team player in his first two years and we can no longer use the excuse that he's young and needs to grow up. His personality has become cancerous to the Steelers' organization, and he needs to be traded in 2024.