It was clear to most that if George Pickens played for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025, it would be his last season in the Black and Gold.
But despite the narrative that some have pushed, it was never because the Steelers wouldn't pay two wide receivers after trading for DK Metcalf.
It was because the Steelers had grown tired of George Pickens' antics, which lead some teams to laugh at the idea of trading for Pickens...
Some teeams laughed at the thought of trading for George Pickens
The Cowboys paid a steep price to solve a clear need. If it works out, Pickens wakes up, signs an extension and produces for years, this trade grade will need a big bump. But it’s reasonable to be skeptical that’ll happen.
Word leaked during the draft that Pickens was available if anyone wanted him. Some teams polled by The Athletic at the time laughed at the idea of inviting Pickens into their locker room for any price, let alone a second-day draft pick. There wasn’t a lot of interest in talking with the Steelers about a trade.
It’s on Pickens to prove them wrong. If he does, the trade will be a home run. Other teams need to see it to believe it.
Jeff Howe, The Athletic
For the past year, the rhetoric coming from the Steelers front office has been about addition in the WR room, not subtraction. But George Pickens tested their patience. If not for a strong relationship with Mike Tomlin, he likely would have been gone a long before Wednesday morning due to his immaturity.
Sources point to a situation that included being late to practice, missing team meetings, even holding up chartered flights, showing that Pickens has yet to fully grasp the professional aspect of the NFL
And this is just behind the scenes. Pickens is known for two things among the public. Wild catches, and a short fuse. Antagonizing players, repeatedly getting fined for gestures and penalties, his Sunday actions weren't exactly clean either.
As much as fans and the Steelers loved the player, the character was a problem and other teams realized that. This isn’t a legal matter, rather one of maturity. Tardiness, lackluster effort in games and during the week, and an attitude and mentality that turns teammates off.
Sometimes, all you need is a wake up call however, and perhaps a trade turns Pickens into the player his potential suggests.
"It was like my old draft reaction. I found out when everyone else found out," Pickens told Dallas Cowboys media on Thusday. "I feel great, I like the mojo here. I like the swag, there's a lot of new players I've been meeting. I feel like they have a good thing going, for sure."
