The Pittsburgh Steelers must find at least one other solid wide receiver for the 2025 season. They reportedly swung for the fences with Brandon Aiyuk last season, but he chose to stay with the San Francisco 49ers. That left the team with George Pickens and a lot of depth pieces. The offense under both quarterbacks in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields was somewhat one-dimensional, and they struggled to move the ball down the field consistently and score touchdowns in 2024.
Part of the issue is the uncertainty surrounding Pickens' future in the Steel City. Given his freakish athletic abilities, offering him an extension before the start of the 2025 season should be a no-brainer. However, his constant antics have left a bad taste in people's mouths, and fans are ready to move on from him. They expected Pickens to show increased maturity as the team's wide receiver one (WR1), but instead, he continued to fight with opponents, argue with fans, let down his teammates by not blocking or giving up on plays, and by being late for games.
Longtime Steelers reporter Brooke Pryor joined Bill Barnwell on his podcast, The Bill Barnwell Show, where she was asked about DK Metcalf requesting a trade from the Seattle Seahawks. Barnwell wants to know if the Steelers might be willing to include Pickens in a trade package with the Seahawks. In 2024, the 49ers supposedly wanted a player as a part of the trade for Aiyuk, but the Steelers weren't interested in letting a solid performer go. Pryor pointed out that we know now that San Francisco never intended to trade Aiyuk, so it wouldn't have mattered. The question posed by Barnwell is, would the Steelers even answer the phone, or would they just hang up?
"I would listen to that if I'm the Steelers," said Pryor about including Pickens in a possible trade for Metcalf. "I think that there are enough smart people in the building that they're not going to hang up the phone. They are going to listen and consider because of all of the intangible factors with George Pickens. Knowing that if you don't trade him this year, you gotta get an extension done with him. If you don't get an extension done on his terms or on his timeline, if he doesn't have an extension going into training camp, we're not going to see him at Latrobe. This could get very messy and could be somewhat of a distraction. I think you have to listen because you're kind of killing two birds with one stone. You get a top-tier, dependable, just a great wide receiver in DK Metcalf, and you've just solved one of your biggest problems."
Pryor believes that if the Steelers don't work out an extension with Pickens before the start of camp, then he could be a holdout. She said it was evident in 2024 how important the chemistry Pickens developed with Justin Fields was. Since the Steelers don't know who their quarterback will be, they cannot afford Pickens wasting any time.
The extension with Pickens could be a bit costly, and Pryor said that given the opportunity, she would rather put the money toward signing someone of Metcalf's talent. He can lead the room with Calvin Austin III, Roman Wilson, and a rookie they select in the upcoming NFL Draft.
Could Steelers George Pickens Be Mentored By DK Metcalf?
The idea of having the talented duo of Pickens and Metcalf on the same roster has a certain appeal. Metcalf doesn't lack on-field abilities, and for all of Pickens' many faults, he is one of the best at making contested catches in the league. Most assumed that he would grow and mature and his behaviors would lessen. While he was the most talented receiver on the roster, there were veterans that fans hoped would be able to reach him. However, that hasn't happened yet. Some think no one can reach him.
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