Young Steelers Defender Publicly Criticizes Pittsburgh's Front Office For Suddenly Trading George Pickens

The Pittsburgh Steelers put themselves back in the exact same position as they were in 2024 after trading wide receiver George Pickens. An exciting move was made to acquire DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks, which excited fans because of the potential the duo would have in the offense. Unfortunately, the former second-round pick will now be playing for the Dallas Cowboys in 2025. The franchise's offense has been very stagnant in recent years, and that could potentially be the case again if another move is not made by General Manager Omar Khan.

Many analysts have given specific thoughts about what the trade means for the two organizations involved, but the overall belief is that Pittsburgh's offense got worse when it comes to talent. There are also some wondering about what the feeling in the locker room might be when it comes to the unexpected trade. Some players may have been tired of the noise surrounding Pickens, while others might believe that the team, as a whole, lost one of its better players.

In a recent episode of his vlog, Beanie's Bakery, second-year cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr., had on linebacker Payton Wilson. When talking about Pickens, the young defender made it known that he was extremely unhappy with the decision that Khan made to deal the wide receiver. He gave his overall thoughts about the move, and absolutely nothing was positive.

"They talking about finalizing," Bishop said to Wilson in reference to the trade almost being complete. "I'm like, 'Ain't no way, bro. There's no way.' They finally broke it down and I'm like, 'Yo, what we are we doing?' I'm like, personally, 'What are we doing?' I'm thinking we went out and got DK [Metcalf] so he could play opposite of George, and obviously teach George some things."

It was understood throughout the fan base that Pickens could have been traded before or during the 2025 NFL Draft, but after that didn't happen, it seemed as if the organization was going to let the dynamic duo of Metcalf and Pickens get to work. Bishop could have been speaking for several individuals in the locker room when he expressed how disappointing it was that the talented pass-catcher was suddenly leaving the Steel City.

It is rather shocking to hear a young player openly criticize his franchise's decisions. While Pickens is an incredible talent, Bishop is an undrafted player who will be fighting for a spot on the roster despite his playing time back in 2024. Nothing is ever guaranteed at the NFL level, and having negative comments about your team's decision-makers isn't going to earn you any kind of brownie points.

Bishop went into a little bit more detail when about why he is against the trade from a football player's point of view. He believes that a pairing of Pickens and Metcalf would be a nightmare for a defense.

"Looking at it from a defensive perspective, you can't double-team both of those guys," Bishop said. "You have to put some schematics around both of those guys."

Bishop is certainly correct. A wide receiving corps that has two guys with the talents of both Metcalf and Pickens would be nearly impossible to game plan for. Coaches around the league would be having an extremely difficult time preparing for the Steelers. Instead, Pickens is off to the Cowboys, and Pittsburgh is in no better position than it was in 2024.

Steelers Have To Understand Bishop's Point Of View

While it may not be wise for a second-year player to publicly criticize his organization on YouTube, his complaints are valid. Pittsburgh had a potentially strong one-two punch, but that feeling only lasted for a couple of months. The offense needs to be more consistent to win in the playoffs, but as it stands after the Pickens trade, there is no true solution just yet, even after trading for Metcalf.