While speaking with reporters at the NFL Combine on Tuesday, Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan raised eyebrows when he said the club has "a desire" for wide receiver George Pickens "to be great and to be great here."
Later on Tuesday, Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reacted strongly to Khan's comments about Pickens in a live chat.
"I was standing next to Khan when he answered every question about Pickens and I did not for one second get the idea the Steelers will make a Pickens contract a priority," Fittipaldo explained. "The most likely scenario is they keep him and let him play out the final year of his contract. A trade is a possibility too. But of course, Khan isn't going to announce they'll listen to offers."
Pickens continues to be the subject of trade rumors for reasons beyond the fact that he's about to enter the final year of his rookie contract. The 23-year-old hasn't yet shown he can consistently be a top-tier WR1 for the franchise, and he's caused the club numerous headaches in recent years.
This past December, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin publicly said that after Pickens was flagged twice for unsportsmanlike conduct during Pittsburgh's Week 13 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, the wideout must "grow up." Pickens later indicated he wasn't optimistic about the future of the Steelers offense, and team owner/president Art Rooney II acknowledged in January that the franchise would like to see Pickens "grow."
"I think a new contract is a far-fetched scenario this summer," Fittipaldo wrote about Pickens. "He has not behaved like someone they would want to have on their team long-term."
Perhaps the biggest reason Khan will hold onto Pickens through the summer is that Pittsburgh needs to add offensive playmakers rather than subtract them this offseason. Specifically, stories have linked the Steelers with San Francisco 49ers dual-threat offensive weapon Deebo Samuel and Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill. Pittsburgh is also expected to bolster its offense via the 2025 draft.
Fittipaldo added that he would accept a package that included a second-round draft selection and a fourth-round choice in return for Pickens because "the Steelers could use extra picks to fortify their roster." It's unclear if a receiver-needy team would give up those assets for Pickens, considering he could theoretically cause some problems behind the scenes if he doesn't receive a contract extension before September.
