Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens is back in the spotlight.
ESPN "insider'' Adam Schefter is now suggesting that the polarizing star could be "deemed expendable,'' a harsh way to frame the situation.
Though no formal deal is imminent, Pickens - a highlight machine but also a headache - is officially on watch as a potential mover ahead of or during the 2025 NFL Draft.
From a front-office perspective, the situation makes sense.
Pickens is entering the final year of his rookie deal. He's made waves for a few non-football reasons in recent seasons. And now, after the Steelers traded their second-round pick (52nd overall) to land DK Metcalf, the idea of recouping draft capital by flipping Pickens becomes all the more logical.
Reasonable evaluators have pegged Pickens’ trade value as comparable to what Seattle got for Metcalf — a second-rounder. But if teams are wary of the volatility, it’s very possible Pittsburgh could settle for slightly less — a future second or a high third.
In short: his market is real, but not perfect.
The Steelers, meanwhile, are still figuring out their long-term quarterback plan. They’ve retooled their WR1 room. And they have holes to fill on both sides of the ball. Moving Pickens now gives them the flexibility to reload and avoid losing him for nothing more than a third-round compensatory pick in 2027.
"Expendable'' may be harsh. And the situation may be less than ideal. But a trade might be the smartest play on the board.
