When the Pittsburgh Steelers traded for D.K. Metcalf this offseason, the imagery of Metcalf and George Pickens dominating defenses brought some fresh excitement to the Steelers fan base. Unfortunately, those images will never become a reality, as the Steelers traded Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys on Wednesday morning.
Pickens is entering the final season of his rookie contract, so an argument can be made that it makes sense to get something for him before he leaves in free agency. However, that argument doesn’t negate the fact that wide receiver is now added to the list of concerns Pittsburgh has. Yes, the team has Metcalf, but the unit is pretty concerning after him.
George Pickens trade leaves Steelers with concerning receiver room
With Pickens now in Dallas, Calvin Austin III will resume his role as WR2 for Pittsburgh’s offense. That’s the role he played last season, and he had just 36 receptions for 548 yards and four touchdowns, despite appearing in all 17 games. In a league where WR2s are perennial Pro Bowlers, those kind of numbers aren’t going to cut it from Austin. He’ll need to take a huge step in 2025, or the Steelers will be in trouble.
Pittsburgh also has 33-year-old Robert Woods, who they signed this offseason, and he’s coming off a 20-catch, 203-yard season in 15 games with the Houston Texans. There’s also Roman Wilson, who missed almost all of his rookie season with injuries in 2024, so no one knows what to expect from him.
Of course, the Steelers still don’t have a starting-caliber quarterback to even throw these receivers the ball, so it’s all bad. Unless something dramatic happens throughout the rest of the offseason, Pittsburgh will need its defense to play at an all-time great level to win games, or the Steelers will finally lose enough to be near the top of the draft where they can select a quarterback.