Pittsburgh Steelers fans were worried when they traded Diontae Johnson away because it left George Pickens as the only solid receiver on the team. However, fans were optimistic when they drafted Roman Wilson in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Wilson helped Michigan win a National Championship. His explosive speed and athletic abilities generated interest, raising his draft stock. Fans knew that Wilson would need a little bit of time to develop, but they were frustrated when an injury seemed to stall him from the starting gate.
Wilson was injured during training camp, and his rookie season never shaped up to be what anyone expected. He finally made his rookie debut in Week 6 against the Las Vegas Raiders, where he had zero catches. Unfortunately, he injured his hamstring before he could play in another game and was put on injured reserve. He finally returned to practice just as the New Year kicked off, but did not play in the season's final two games.
Fans were dumbfounded that Wilson wasn't activated sooner. The team was suffering without a second strong receiver. Defenses figured out how to shut Pickens down, and then, sometimes, Pickens' antics seemed to get in the way. This had fans questioning the team's decision not to get Wilson involved.
Insider Ray Fittipaldo from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said before that getting a helmet isn't easy. Bob Pompeani recently asked him on the Pomp and Joe Show on 93.7 The Fan if missing his rookie year hampered how the coaching staff sees him.
"I don't necessarily think so," said Fittipaldo. "I just think when guys get injured as early as he did, I think he was injured on the third day of training camp -- when you miss that big six-week chunk of practices and meetings, and everything is so condensed in training camp, but a lot of learning and teaching goes on there. When you miss that, it really just sets you back. So he came back for a short time, was injured again, at that point they pretty much said, 'You're not going to help us this year. We're gonna keep you on IR. You'll be around the building and learn, but you're not going to get to play.'"
The Steelers also lost Troy Fautanu, their 2024 first round pick, to an early injury early. Fittipaldo thinks the team views both Wilson and Fautanu similarly. They will be almost like new draft picks since they missed most of the season and thus will be grouped with this year's selections. He said he feels the Steelers will try to put that "positive spin" on the situation.
Fittipaldo also believes they both have the potential to be impact starters. However, they shouldn't put all their eggs in Wilson's basket since he is unproven in the NFL. He said that he sees the receiver room and the handling of Pickens as their most crucial offseason decision. He expects the Steelers to attempt to obtain a veteran and draft a receiver on either day one or two, regardless of what they decide on Pickens. They will join Wilson in helping to create a revamped receiving corps for 2025.
Steelers Should Trade George Pickens
The Pickens debate began before the season even ended. Fans are frustrated with his often childish behavior and apparent lack of consistent effort and want the team to trade him while he has value. Fittipaldo agrees with that, even though it leaves the team seriously vulnerable, with zero elite receivers. He thinks the team could receive picks for Pickens to reinvest in the team. Pittsburgh just hasn't been a good fit for Pickens since Fittipaldo feels he is a top-five talent, but that hasn't been shown here.
The Steelers will have to be delicate in handling Pickens. Some are worried his behavior might ramp up if he thinks he has no future with the team.
