George Pickens has talent that you can’t trade for. He also has a good chance of finishing his third NFL season with under 1,000 receiving yards. Granted, he missed three games, but he is averaging roughly the same yards per game as last year. And last year, he played every game while failing to make the Pro Bowl despite his protestations.
Given everything else he brings to the table—tantrums, unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, immaturity, limited accountability—one wonders whether the cost of doing business merits the investment. And given that George Pickens is entering a contract year, it’s an important time to seek an answer. Is he a Steelers type of player?
Pickens has one game left to play in his first three regular seasons, so we have nearly complete data. He will likely finish his first three years with roughly 180 catches for under 3,000 yards and under 15 touchdowns. If you are the Steelers’ front office, how much money are you willing to pay him? And if you’re not willing to pay the asking price, what do you do? People are increasingly wondering if a Pickens trade is not the best solution.
Back at the start of December, Mark Kaboly argued that the Steelers “cannot bring [Pickens] next year as a lame-duck guy”. In other words, they have to find a resolution one way or the other. Either you bite the bullet and sign him to an extension, or you trade him. The Steelers have taken both routes before, and Ray Fittipaldo is starting to lean toward the latter.
“I’ll tell you what, it seems like it’s gonna be an issue. If you don’t sign [George Pickens], you better trade him”, Fittipaldo said on 93.7 The Fan on Thursday. “That’s something to worry about in February, March, but I’m starting to lean [that] way. I think that’s gonna be a tough decision for Omar [Khan] and company. But sometimes those headaches are nicer when another team is having to deal with them”.
Pickens’ most recent meeting with the media drew some attention, though the circumstances are questionable. A reporter asked about himself and Russell Wilson not being on the same page on an interception in the Steelers’ last game. Pickens asked for clarification, and the reporter claimed Wilson said that—which isn’t quite what he said, not verbatim, anyway.
After Pickens questioned whether Wilson actually said that or the reporter said it, the reporter followed by asking him how they go about fixing the communication issues. Pickens then zipped up his facemask and exited the media scrum. It should be noted that the reporter in question has received considerable blowback for how he handled addressing the question.
Of course, this is Pickens on practically his best behavior. He didn’t aggressively pull another player down by his facemask or any number of things he has done in the past that have drawn genuinely negative attention and public rebukes from his coaches and teammates.
So the question is, what is George Pickens worth to the Steelers, and what is he worth via trade? They managed to get a second-round pick for Chase Claypool, and a third for Martavis Bryant. Even for Diontae Johnson a year ago, they got Donte Jackson and a preferable pick swap. Does 70 catches for 1,200 yards and five or six touchdowns do it for you?
