The undisputed No. 1 receiver in the Pittsburgh Steelers offense, WR George Pickens has a chance to really bust out in 2024. Even with as many negative headlines as he drew, his sophomore season was an improvement. He became more versatile, greatly improved his YAC, and finished the year with the NFL’s tops yards per catch at 18.1 yards.
Now that the Steelers have improved their quarterback play, Pickens could next another step forward. If he does, he might make team history.
Through two seasons, Pickens has 1,941 yards. He registered his first 1,000-yard season last year, finishing with a team-high 1,140. If he finishes 2024 with at least 1,266 yards receiving, it’ll be the most by any Steelers player through their first three seasons. Here’s the current leaderboard.
Most Receiving Yards, First Three Years (Steelers History)
1. Mike Wallace – 3,206 (2009-2011)
2. JuJu Smith-Schuster – 2,895 (2017-2019)
3. Diontae Johnson – 2,764 (2019-2021)
4. Plaxico Burress – 2,606 (2000-2002)
5. Santonio Holmes – 2,587 (2006-2008)
9. George Pickens – 1,941 (2022-2023)
Provided he stays healthy, Pickens should at the least capture second place. He needs less than 1,000 yards to surpass JuJu Smith-Schuster, who probably would’ve been in first place had it not been for Ben Roethlisberger’s and his own injuries in 2019.
Wallace is the leader, the speedster who took the NFL by storm out of the gate. He was the last Steeler to lead the NFL in yards per catch prior to Pickens and went for over 1,000 yards in his sophomore and junior seasons. Antonio Brown, if you’re wondering, was still coming into his own as a sixth-round pick and is just eighth on this list behind the top five, Louis Lipps, and Buddy Dial.
Can Pickens each 1,266? It’ll be a stretch but it’s plausible. He finished about 120 yards shy of that mark a season ago despite the Steelers finishing 25th in passing yards. With Russell Wilson the team’s presumed starter, results should be better, though it’s worth noting that the Broncos finished 24th in passing yards. Still, Wilson is an outside-the-numbers thrower and Pickens is the standout weapon in the wide receiver room.
As the clear-cut guy, there’s no question teams will rotate and roll coverages to Pickens’ side. But if the run game is as strong as the Steelers hope, it’ll pull a safety into the box and create single-high shells and one-on-one coverage over the top, an area where Pickens wins best.
A big year from George Pickens could turn into a big payday this time next year. He’s not eligible for a contract extension until the 2025 offseason but a banner year could force the team’s hand to back up the money truck. The wide receiver market has been red hot with Amon-Ra St. Brown and A.J. Brown hitting the $30 million-plus average yearly value mark this offseason. Brandon Aiyuk will likely join them before Week 1 while Justin Jefferson will top them all. Pickens reaching that territory might feel a bridge too far but with a rising salary cap, and the assumption he has an outstanding, 1,300-yard season, he’ll certainly be angling to get as close to that mark as he can next year.
Contracts aside, Pickens could be atop the team leaderboard come January, a small but quirky piece of history. He won’t reach the record in receptions (he’d need 140 to break Diontae Johnson’s mark) or touchdowns (he’d need 19 to break Buddy Dial’s record) but yards? He’s got a chance.
