The Pittsburgh Steelers have been dealing with nearly constant issues in their wide receiver room for a few years. In 2023, when it was George Pickens and Diontae Johnson; the pair seemed to play off each other, creating a toxic environment. They were both seen pouting and complaining about the amount of targets they received. The team decided to trade Johnson away, which led many to think Pickens would be able to step up in 2024 as a leader in this room, given that it was his third season. That meant they needed to find a wide receiver two (WR2) to join him.
That search didn't go well, as the team invested significant energy into getting Brandon Aiyuk. When the dust settled, it appeared that Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers used the Steelers to get their own deal done. They also went for Christian Kirk before the trade deadline, but he suffered an injury that ended his season. Roman Wilson's injuries and struggle to get up to speed also hurt the offense.
This left little doubt that Head Coach Mike Tomlin needed to go after a big-name receiver in the 2025 offseason. The Steelers did just that and displayed none of their usual frugality, signing DK Metcalf to a five-year, $150 million contract.
This raises questions about Pickens' future. Many fans felt he should have been traded immediately, while others think they need to let him play out his rookie contract and just appreciate the talent he brings to the team. Longtime Steelers reporter Gerry Dulac from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette joined Randy Baumann and the DVE Morning Show on 102.5 WDVE. Show co-host Mike Prisuta asked Dulac if the Steelers should go ahead and trade Pickens now and see what they can get for him. Dulac said that this trade certainly puts Pickens on a shorter leash.
"Mike, I'm with you," agreed Dulac. "If you feel you're going to move on from him, and DK Metcalf or not, I did not see many possibilities, or any scenario, where they were going to bring him back after next year. So if that is the case, then yeah, I'm with you, trade him while you can get something. I think it's creating a potentially problematic situation next year with Pickens when DK Metcalf is going to be your primary target. And then George Pickens, how's he going to handle that? We saw how Kenny Pickett handled the Russell Wilson signing last year. Who's to say the same type of behavior might not exist right now with Pickens and they move on from him."
Dulac said he doesn't think this means they won't draft a wide receiver. He said he expects them to still take one, just maybe not with their first pick, but certainly by the second day. In addition to having Pickens return and their new rookie, they will have Wilson return, making Dulac more optimistic about the receiving corps than he had been.
In addition, Dulac said that the Metcalf deal gives Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith his AJ Brown-type player. While Metcalf is larger than Brown, they are both very physically opposing. They also both have exceptional speed for a bigger player.
Steelers Don't Need To Worry About Other WRs Like Roman Wilson
When Wilson could not return to the lineup after recovering from his injuries, rumors said he couldn't master the playbook. This led to talk about Wilson's intelligence or the team's failure to develop him.
According to one insider, this isn't as concerning as people think. Rookies often struggle to get up to speed quickly. When they miss the majority of training camp, the way Wilson did, it's tough to jump on that moving train. Learning the plays isn't just memorizing them, but also being out on the field and practicing them with your teammates.
