When the Pittsburgh Steelers traded for receiver DK Metcalf, sending a second-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks, they acquired both a star receiver and the flexibility that comes with him.
Without acquiring Metcalf, it becomes awfully hard to imagine the Steelers not extending leading receiver George Pickens. With a second standout in the building that’s an option, and might be enticing given the redundant skill sets the two receivers possess.
For all their talents, Metcalf and Pickens are both size/speed threats who do their best work downfield, making for an interesting experiment for offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
The Steelers could feasibly move on from Pickens and pivot to a different high-level receiver, whether it be early in the NFL Draft or in that hypothetical trade. However, general manager Omar Khan won’t trade Pickens for one key reason, which he detailed on Monday.
"No, we need more than one receiver in this league, and we're fortunate to have George (Pickens) and Calvin (Austin) and we're excited about what Roman (Wilson) is going to be," Khan said at the annual league meetings.
Trading Pickens would effectively bring Pittsburgh back to Square 1.
It was clear in 2024 that Pickens alone was not enough to build an above-average passing offense. He’s too easy to take away by his lonesome, and the combination of Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin, and Mike Williams wasn’t enough to threaten opposing defenses.
Metcalf, with 6,324 yards and 48 touchdowns to his name, solves that issue. Trading a second-round pick and tacking on four years and $132 million to Metcalf’s contract only to kneecap themselves simply isn't a good process.
If the season falls apart and it’s clear Pickens isn’t extending, trading him becomes a viable option. But with semi-real competitive aspirations and an urgent need to improve the passing offense, trading away a key cog in that machine would be akin to going into the season without an upgrade under center.
Throw in a draft class that isn’t ripe with elite receiving talent, and the idea becomes even more dubious. This is a team that could still use reinforcement in the passing game. Taking a step back after March’s massive step forward would be another stagnant move from an organization with a newfound proclivity for that brand of mediocrity.
