The two most talked-about moves of the offseason have been connected in the Pittsburgh Steelers' fears of locker room tension.
A stunning development has surfaced this week that links the two most newsworthy moves of the NFL offseason - both of which involved the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pittsburgh, shortly after trading for and singing DK Metcalf, called it quits with top receiver George Pickens by trading him to the Dallas Cowboys for draft compensation.
Then, free agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers made it official that he would, as many expected, be signing with Pittsburgh for his 21st season in the league.
Now reports are saying the first move was made in preparation for the next one.
According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Steelers felt pressured to trade Pickens with Rodgers and potential locker room tension in mind.
“The Steelers moved on from Pickens for a few reasons,” Fowler writes. “His maturity issues were well-known within Pittsburgh’s locker room and front office. So, the Steelers made the evaluation that Pickens and Rodgers probably would not hit it off.”
Pickens' history of on-field fights and tardy attendance to team functions have been well documented. He may be just 24 years old, but the character concerns were real, and Mike Tomlin, among the sternest head coaches around, had had enough.
But now here comes Rodgers, who may not be the easiest guy to get along with, either.
Will Rodgers be an "upgrade" in maturity? Certainly, but that doesn't eliminate all of the drama that has seemed to follow Rodgers with greater intensity as of late.
Would Pickens and Rodgers have meshed? Probably not, but that's all an assumption.
Pickens is entering a contract year, and all indications show that he's on the straight and narrow in Dallas so far. Rodgers likely knows he's near the end of the road, so maybe he could clean up his frequent controversies and attention-seeking ploys in search of a successful last ride.
Or not.
That forces the Steelers to have to pick between the two.
While it's unclear whether Rodgers demanded Pickens be moved before he signs, that could be a plausible story here also. If you're into conspiracies - like Rodgers - maybe that's an explanation of the move. Realistically, the move to favor the quarterback should offer enough to be justified.
Pittsburgh had swung and missed on any quarterback options to this point, and having just locked down Metcalf, they valued a future Hall of Famer under center more than a young receiver prospect who isn't even as proven as his replacement.
There's a strong possibility that these moves - however much they have to do with one another - could still pay major dividends to both franchises.
Dallas finds an electric receiver to relieve pressure from All-Pro centerpiece CeeDee Lamb, and Pittsburgh finds the best quarterback option available at a team-friendly price.
Drama may come regardless, but at least Pittsburgh played it smart.
Better to be safe than sorry.
