George Pickens is entering the final season of his rookie contract, which has led many to speculate on his future with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Can the Steelers confidently offer the talented but high-maintenance wide receiver a long-term deal right now given some of the maturity issues that have manifested on and off the field throughout his three years with the team? If they don’t, would he join the growing trend of players holding out (or in) without a long-term deal in place?
Trading Pickens has become a popular idea that has gained traction among various media outlets. The 33rd Team suggested that the Steelers should send Pickens to the Washington Commanders in exchange for a 2025 second-round pick.
Pickens took exception to that idea, replying to The 33rd Team’s post.
“Via: Me.. these pages are not in the building. Or any facility. Just stop lying for clicks and views my brotha,” Pickens wrote.
The latest drama involving Pickens was a report from The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo that stated he was significantly late to the Steelers’ Christmas Day game against the Kansas City Chiefs. The report stated that he showed up after inactives were announced when players are expected to be there at least two hours before kickoff.
This, along with a variety of other minor incidents have all added up to create the image of a locker room problem. While Pickens may have some maturity issues of his own to work out, there have been zero hints from other players that he is a bad teammate. Donte Jackson said that nobody has as much fun as Pickens and described a counter-narrative to what many people assume.
Pickens seems to be voicing some of those frustrations on this Instagram reply by stating that the people talking about him being traded are not in the locker room and don’t have any idea of what kind of teammate he is.
Some of Pickens’ reputation is deserved, but I think it’s also fair to say that it’s led people to paint with a very broad brush when it comes to how he is in the locker room. Remember that he’s still just 23 years old, younger than some of the players in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Mike Tomlin acknowledged there is still room for growth on Pickens’ end, so clearly it’s not all perfect. Will Pickens ultimately be traded? It doesn’t sound like that is his preferred outcome based on his response to the very idea of it.
