Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens is a highly talented player but he’s also very unpredictable. Pickens, who is heading into a contract year in 2025, has showcased countless acts of immaturity in his first three years in Pittsburgh. That’s why there’s been speculation that he could be on the trade block, but the Steelers’ receiver corps is already extremely thin, so that could be a risky proposition.
Nevertheless, if the Steelers do move on from Pickens. Adam Rank of NFL.com thinks the Green Bay Packers would be an ideal trade partner. The Packers are a team that needs to bolster their wide receiver corps and give quarterback Jordan Love another dynamic weapon.
“Here’s another young receiver who could fetch a nice price from a trading partner seeking a true No. 1 pass-catching option. (Right, Green Bay?) Pickens has been inconsistent, but the Steelers have also trotted out a wide assortment of quarterbacks during his first three seasons in the NFL. Having him as the top target for, say, Jordan Love would be huge for Matt LaFleur’s Packers offense,” Rank. “The Steelers also get a chance to avoid an uncomfortable conversation with Pickens when the 2022 second-round pick’s contract is up at the end of the 2025 season. And let’s be completely honest, the Steelers have done a great job over the last few decades of moving on from receivers before issues arise, financial or otherwise.”
Former Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison is the latest Black and Gold legend to express that it would be in the organization’s best interest to trade Pickens.
“Just from what I’m seeing, what I’m hearing, I don’t know, if it was me I would try and trade him,” Harrison said on the Nightcap podcast with Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson at Super Bowl media row. “I think he’s gonna want a deal. He’s not going to come back without a deal, you know what I’m saying. I don’t see, with his current and past behavior, as an organization taking a chance and saying, ‘Hey, I’m gonna give you this.’”
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk also questions if the Steelers should give Pickens a new contract. He thinks it could have a negative effect if a massive payday is granted this offseason or next.
“If you make him prove himself this year and then you pay him, does he revert? Does he act the way he should for one year, get the contract? Florio pondered. “Because once you get that contract, you know the way the contract’s gonna be structured, you have a certain amount of bulletproof-ness to you. If you give him money, is he gonna change? And at what point do you come to the conclusion that this is just who he is?”
Steelers president Art Rooney II revealed during his season-ending press conference that they haven’t had discussions about extending Pickens’ contract yet. Pickens is heading into the final year on his rookie deal, but the first three years have been tumultuous due to a series of outbursts and immature behavior from the Georgia product.
The 23-year-old has been fined on many occasions and a recent report revealed he arrived late to the Steelers Christmas day game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Rooney believes there’s certainly room for growth with Pickens.
“Look, George is a very talented player, who has room to grow,” Rooney said. “We will would like to see him grow, and hopefully he realizes the potential that he has. But, there’s definitely room for growth there.”
