It was certainly an interesting season for Pittsburgh Steelers WR George Pickens, who was the team’s most productive wide receiver when healthy but made headlines for a lot of the wrong reasons. He ripped the helmet off Dallas Cowboys CB Jourdan Lewis after a Week 5 loss, got into a scuffle with Cleveland Browns CB Greg Newsome II after a Week 12 loss, and was docked over $90,000 by the league in publicly announced fines for his actions on the field.
He also reportedly showed up late for the team’s Week 17 loss against the Kansas City Chiefs, and with Pickens set to be a free agent after the 2025 season, he’s due for an extension after this year. During his end-of-year press conference, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said it is too early to discuss Pickens’ future in Pittsburgh.
“We haven’t had any conversations about pecking orders or priorities regarding any individuals contractually,” he said Tuesday. “We’re not there yet. I don’t know that’s gonna transpire this week. We’re still assessing what’s transpired in 2024. Those are more 2025 things.”
Tomlin acknowledged that while Pickens did some growing up in 2024, there’s more room for growth.
“I think he covered some ground in 2024, but there’s certainly a heck of a lot more ground to be covered, so we’ll see where that leads us,” Tomlin said via the team’s YouTube channel. “I’m always concerned about the growth and development of individuals, whether it’s skill relative to the positions that they hold, professionalism, maturity, or combinations of all of the above.”
He also said he’s open to changing his approach when it comes to coaching Pickens.
“I’m always in consideration of changing my approach to get a desired result, particularly when it gets repetitive,” he said.
It’s an open question whether Pickens will be a member of the Steelers in 2025. He’s going to want a top-of-the-market contract, and the Steelers might not be willing to pay him given some of the attitude issues that have cropped up throughout his career. The problem is he’s far and away Pittsburgh’s top option at receiver, and the team doesn’t have anyone behind him it could really count on to fill that role.
Finding a receiver through the draft or free agency is going to be a top priority this offseason whether or not Pickens is on the roster, but the need to add multiple receivers will be heightened if the Steelers do indeed move on from Pickens. It’s still early in the offseason so it’s not worth reading into that the team hasn’t met with him about a contract, but Tomlin’s answer about him still needing to grow up a bit is certainly notable.
He’s not a young receiver anymore, as he’ll be entering his fourth NFL season. The fact that he’s had issues with his attitude each season of his career is problematic, and it’s something the Steelers might not want to put up with anymore. They’re going to have to decide this offseason if they do think he can grow up, and if his immense talent is truly worth the headaches he might bring if he doesn’t.
