While a plethora of rumors that surfaced throughout April claimed that the Pittsburgh Steelers could look to trade wide receiver George Pickens before or during the 2025 NFL Draft, subsequent reports insisted Pittsburgh never came close to completing such a transaction.
During a Wednesday appearance on Columbus sports radio station 97.1 The Fan, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter suggested that the Steelers would've sent Pickens to a different team had their asking price been met in April.
"I think that they've brought it up," Schefter said about the Steelers possibly trading Pickens, per Troy Montgomery of Steelers Depot. "I don't think that there's a team out there that's willing to give up what Pittsburgh would need to part ways with a wide receiver as talented as George Pickens. Right now, I don't view it as viable. That certainly could change. I think Pittsburgh would listen. I think Pittsburgh has listened, and I don't think anything's come close to happening with him."
Pickens is in the final year of his rookie deal and seems unlikely to receive a lucrative extension from the Steelers after they signed DK Metcalf to a five-year contract worth $150M as part of acquiring him from the Seattle Seahawks earlier this offseason. Some previously said they thought Pickens could essentially force the Steelers to trade him this offseason, but a recent report revealed that "he actually likes his time in Pittsburgh" because of head coach Mike Tomlin.
Tomlin has dealt with numerous headaches caused by Pickens since Pittsburgh selected him in the second round of the 2022 draft.
It's believed the Steelers will want to surround quarterback Aaron Rodgers with as many offensive weapons as possible, assuming Rodgers eventually joins the club. However, that doesn't mean Pittsburgh won't make Pickens available ahead of the fall trade deadline.
"I think the Steelers are open to listening on George Pickens," Schefter added. "I think it's not a simple deal to pull off. You're talking about a very talented wide receiver, but someone who has had some punctuality issues."
In short, it sounds as if receiver-needy teams could reach out to Steelers general manager Omar Khan regarding Pickens' status from now through the end of the preseason.
