It’s a big offseason for George Pickens, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract. The Pittsburgh Steelers have a decision to make about his future with the team. While his play often looks well worth a contract extension, some of his on- and off-field antics do not.
After reports of him showing up late for meetings earlier in the season, Pickens reportedly showed up late for the Steelers’ game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas.
“When he was finally healthy, how did he respond? By showing up late for the Christmas Day game against the Kansas City Chiefs,” Mike DeFabo of The Athletic wrote. “[Mike] Tomlin asks players to report to games at least two hours before kickoff. On Dec. 25, Pickens walked through the media entrance an hour and 25 minutes before kickoff. That was after inactive players were announced.”
That was Pickens’ first game back after missing three games with a hamstring injury in Weeks 14 through 16. Pickens was listed as a full participant in practice on Tuesday before that game and did not have an injury designation. It was already known that he was good to go, but showing up after the inactive list was announced could have potentially put the Steelers in a bad spot.
This is just the latest incident in a long list of them throughout his three years with the Steelers. Pickens said after the playoff loss in his press conference that he wasn’t thinking about his contract future as he was still focused on what had just happened in the loss. It seems like this situation might be headed for a reckoning this offseason.
No matter how badly the Steelers need wide receivers, they can’t confidently give Pickens a big-money contract extension. And if he enters the 2025 season on a lame-duck contract with no long-term security, could that create even more of these behavioral issues? Pickens is the most tenured receiver in the Steelers’ locker room. These kinds of issues show a lack of accountability and set a poor example for the young offense.
Multiple Steelers insiders have floated the idea of trading Pickens this offseason if a long-term contract isn’t signed. I am beginning to think that is the best path forward for all parties.
