Steelers defensive end Cam Heyward was real about the George Pickens trade and explained some of the similarities to past receivers.
The Pittsburgh Steelers moved on from George Pickens, and it's an all-too-familiar feeling with defensive end Cam Heyward. On his podcast, he delved into Steelers history and detailed the receivers who stayed past their rookie contracts.
“I think you’ve got to look at the track record of trading wide receivers,” Heyward said. “There’s been some good history behind this and when to do it, what to expect. I was looking at a stat, there have been only three or four receivers that made it past the rookie contracts with the Steelers, it’s crazy.
“You had AB, you had Diontae Johnson, you had Hines Ward, I think you had JuJu for another year. For the most part, they know when to re-sign and when to trade, and we’ll see what happens. We could be a better team because of it.”
Considering that there were at minimum only three receivers that stayed past their rookie deal is concerning. However, Pickens had the talent, but it might not have been what the organization wanted.
He was notorious for losing his temper on the field. That resulted in penalties, and a slap in the face to the Steelers organization. A change of scenery might've been best for all sides.
Cam Heyward sees Steelers' future uncertain without George Pickens
The long-time defensive end didn't say if the Steelers would be better off without Pickens. However, they have a clear No. 1 receiver in DK Metcalf.
He proved his value in Seattle and was the top option. Someone like the Ole Miss standout could use tough coaching from Mike Tomlin. That might bring the most out of him.
Still, Pittsburgh is an interesting predicament. They've been pursuers of Aaron Rodgers in the offseason. Regardless of those efforts, that might dictate the season.
As a result, they drafted Will Howard out of Ohio State to be the future franchise quarterback. However, Tomlin isn't a fan of starting rookie quarterbacks.
Losing Pickens is losing another valuable weapon on the outside. He has the talent and the production to back it up. Still, there might've been something deeper.
After all, Tomlin made an interesting comments about Pickens' time with the Steelers. But that's besides the point.
At the end of the day, Pittsburgh is in an interesting place. However, the phrase addition by subtraction could be emphasized this season, based on how well the Steelers perform.
Heyward is ready for any possible outcome in the 2025-26 season.
