The Steelers have a massive George Pickens problem on their hands

As we head into the final stretch of games of the 2024 season, the Steelers find themselves with a big issue on their roster. George Pickens has developed into one of the better receivers in the league. That is no secret, and Pittsburgh has developed its passing game around Pickens's game-changing ability.

Initially, it was just his jump-ball ability. He had the rare ability to beat almost anyone in single coverage and control his body to come down with difficult catches. While not his strength, his route running has significantly improved.

On top of all of this, he has become increasingly hard to take down after the ball is in his hands. Though you won’t mistake him for a Justin Jefferson or Jamar Chase, Pickens has earned the right to be called a top-ten receiver.

That is where the issue lies.

Pickens is set to complete his third season with another healthy total. Assuming his trajectory continues, he will record somewhere around 70 receptions for 1,050 yards and three touchdowns. Based on the rest of the league, that will place him somewhere close to the top five, and potentially even the top three. This will likely leave him with more receiving yards than top names like Amon-Ra St. Brown, Tyreek Hill, and both of the Eagles' receivers.

All of this is to say that Pickens is set to get paid next year. Entering the final year of his rookie deal, he will finally be eligible for a new contract. I can’t see a world where he isn’t playing with a new deal next year, and as he should. One bad injury takes away all of that, and considering how inflated the receiver market is, Pickens deserves to capitalize.

Unfortunately, while Pickens has developed into a top receiver, his maturity issues have not gone away. While every week is highlighted with amazing catches, he also tends to make waves for all of the wrong reasons. This makes the idea of inking him to a massive contract hard to swallow.

Should Steelers risk signing George Pickens to an extension?

This is a multi-faceted discussion with a lot of good and bad points. At the end of the day, this has become a really hard decision, which is a shame considering how good of a talent Pickens is. In general, you always want to pay your top young players, and Pickens certainly qualifies.

A new contract won’t be cheap. In this inflated receiver market, Pickens will likely slot in the top five in terms of average salary per year, somewhere around 30 million a season. If he goes on a heater and has a few big games like we know he is capable of, he could pass A.J. Brown as the third highest-paid receiver with an average salary of over 32 million a season.

If that was the only factor in play, you pay the man easily. The issue is Pickens's antics, and specifically his antics on the field. He hasn’t been much of a distraction off the field or during the offseason, but he has some weird quirks when on the field.

Just this season you have the Cowboys' facemask against cornerback Jourdan Lewis as well as some more physical altercations, including his near-fist fight in the Browns game. We have also seen clear effort issues at times when Pickens knows he isn’t touching the ball.

These antics at his age are a major red flag, and investing that much in him is a risk. You won’t be able to keep him in the last year of his rookie deal, I can’t see him playing for that little, so that means if you don’t extend him, you have to trade him.

While the free agent market has been hot for receivers, the trade market has been more muted. We have seen numerous top names get dealt or struggle to get dealt for less than what many perceived their value to be. This isn’t an exact science, but I would guess a third-round pick would be most likely the return for a Steelers team that would be desperate to get rid of him.

This would, in turn, completely deplete your receiver room, as Calvin Austin and Roman Wilson would be the only returning pass catcher. While this new-look Steelers offense loves tight ends, you also need some viable receivers. If you do trade Pickens, you need an established veteran in the room to pair with some rookies.

Looking at the market next year, there are a lot of names that I struggle to make sense of. Stefon Diggs, Amari Cooper, and DeAndre Hopkins are all old, while Chris Godwin is more of a slot option. If you want a potential franchise guy, Pickens is your best bet.

The lone name that sticks out is Tee Higgins, but he isn’t perfect. Injuries have limited him as of late, and even when healthy he hasn’t recaptured his best seasons. That won’t stop the team from having to pay for him. This means you still have an expensive top option and still need to fill out the depth chart.

This leaves the team in between a rock and a hard place. Do you try and keep the talented receiver on a major pay raise despite his immaturity, or do you completely rebuild the room? Pickens has put the team in a horrible spot, and their decision next year will be a monumental one.