Pittsburgh Steelers WR George Pickens has made a lot of headlines for the wrong reasons, whether it’s fighting with opposing players or not showing the effort expected out of an NFL player. With Pickens due for a contract extension this offseason, there’s been some rumblings about his future, and according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, it may not come in Pittsburgh.
In Dulac’s weekly chat, he was asked if Pickens’ negatives have outweighed the positives and if the wide receiver will be on the roster next year. Dulac’s answer makes it sound as if Pickens could have a new home in 2025.
“Yes, they have. And that’s to be determined,” Dulac wrote in response to the question.
In response to another question about at what point dealing with Pickens becomes “not worth it,” Dulac wrote “Soon. Very soon.”
There’s an implication in that answer that the team is seriously considering moving on from its No. 1 wide receiver, who had 59 receptions for 900 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games this season. Pittsburgh’s wide receiver production wasn’t good this year, especially outside of Pickens, and with or without Pickens, it’s going to be a major need this offseason. What complicates matters is that Pickens will likely want an extension heading into his contract year in 2025, and with the wide receiver market exploding last offseason, Pickens will likely want top dollar.
The Steelers likely won’t want to commit as much money as he’s going to want given some of his antics off the field and the fact that he isn’t consistently producing on it. He had three drops and just one catch for zero yards in Week 18 against the Cincinnati Bengals, his third game this season where he’s had under 30 yards. That’s not the sort of production worth paying No. 1 receiver money to long-term, and the Steelers will likely find a team that is intrigued by Pickens’ talent and willing to trade for him if they explore that avenue.
It wouldn’t be the first time the Steelers traded a receiver who was becoming a problem. The team has traded Santonio Holmes, Martavis Bryant and Antonio Brown, and Pickens could be next in line over the coming months. Moving on from Pickens would make receiver even more of a need for the Steelers but remaking the room through the draft and free agency might be a better route than paying top dollar for someone who’s continually been a headache during his tenure in Pittsburgh.
