The Pittsburgh Steelers have a big decision to make about the future of wide receiver George Pickens. The young receiver impressed everyone at the University of Georgia with his incredible ability to win contested catches and lightning-fast speed. He would have easily been considered the top receiver in his class, except for a few nagging character concerns and a recent ACL injury.
Those factors made Pickens fall to the second round, with teams unwilling to take a risk on him. The Steelers rolled the dice with the 52nd overall pick in 2022. It could have gone down as a big draft steal if Pickens could only prove his doubters wrong. Head Coach Mike Tomlin is often praised for getting the best out of talented athletes who exhibit questionable behaviors, so Steel City was considered an excellent fit.
However, Pickens never quite settled down and displayed professional behavior. It always seems to be something - the eye black incident, giving up on plays, refusing to block, fighting with opponents, challenging fans, making finger guns at the crowd, and more. Tomlin said Pickens needs to "grow up" near the end of 2024 when the behavior seemed to escalate rather than slow. Now many fans are calling for Pickens to be traded while he possesses value.
Adam Rank, from NFL.com, agrees; he included Pickens in a list of NFL stars who should be traded, which included Micah Parsons, DK Metcalf, and Pickens.
"Here's another young receiver who could fetch a nice price from a trading partner seeking a true No. 1 pass-catching option," wrote Rank. "(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. 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."
Pickens is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and the Steelers could offer him an extension. Pittsburgh has a firm policy of not working out deals during the season, so it would have to happen before then, and most analysts are wavering on what will play out. They could trade him now and avoid it all, as Rank pointed out; they could ride out the year similar to Najee Harris and see how he does, or go ahead and extend him. There is a concern that his behaviors could escalate if he isn't extended.
While Pickens has the potential to be a true generational talent, that just hasn't come to fruition. Rank isn't wrong about the offense; it's been a mess - Matt Canada, multiple years with a shoddy offensive line, and then the five different quarterbacks Pickens has played with in three seasons. It is hard to imagine any receiver not getting frustrated; the fans certainly are, which makes it hard to place all the blame on Pickens.
Can The Steelers Afford To Lose George Pickens?
If the Steelers trade Pickens, they will likely get compensation for him in the form of draft pick(s). It is nearly impossible to predict what they would get exactly, but it should be substantial for a player with proven talent in his prime.
The Steelers have said in the past they have no interest in trading a wide receiver like Chase Claypool, for whom they got a high second-round pick for, and then doing it, so anything is possible. There is always the possibility that a team makes an offer they can't refuse. He wasn't as talented as Pickens and also displayed immature behavior. Pittsburgh needs a receiver to replace Pickens, so there's always the possibility that another player will be involved.
