Coming off a difficult season, one in which he missed multiple games with a hamstring injury and also dealt with issues on the field from penalties to outbursts, wide receiver George Pickens’ future with the Pittsburgh Steelers has been in question.
A trade from the Steelers has been speculated about but based on what’s come out from the likes of head coach Mike Tomlin and now GM Omar Khan, it sure sounds like Pickens will be back with the Steelers for the 2025 season.
Speaking to local reporters Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine, Khan detailed a “really solid” exit meeting with Pickens.
“I can tell you that he has a desire to be great. He has a desire to be great here,” Khan said of Pickens. “We have a desire for him to be great, and to be great here. We’ll see, with respect to the contract We won’t discuss that publicly, and usually those things are addressed at a later date.”
The 2024 season was a roller-coaster one for Pickens, who finished with 59 receptions for 900 yards and three touchdowns. At times, he looked like a bona fide No. 1 receiver, one who was winning consistently down the field and creating big plays in the passing game.
Even with him being the only Steelers’ credible threat at wide receiver for much of the season, leading to him facing quite a bit of attention from defenses, he still found ways to create those big plays, especially once QB Russell Wilson was inserted into the starting lineup.
But there was a lot of frustrating moments, too, from the postgame scuffle in Week 5 with Dallas cornerback Jourdan Lewis, to the pair of unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in Week 13 against Cincinnati that led to Tomlin stating Pickens needs to grow up, and grow up fast.
Then, he missed three weeks with a hamstring injury, and in his return on Christmas Day against the Chiefs, Pickens blew up on the field late in the game and also had to be restrained from arguing with fans in Week 18 against the Cincinnati Bengals to close the regular season.
It was all a mess but has become part of the norm with Pickens. There’s no denying the talent, though, and there’s a maturation process he’s still going through, one that the Steelers are working through with him. He no doubt has the desire to be great, and it’s great to hear he wants to do that in Pittsburgh, but to be great is more than just producing on the field.
It’s the work ethic behind the scenes, being on time, having the right attitude, doing whatever it takes to win as a team. Pickens still has some work to do in those areas. Seems like he’s going to get the chance to work on that in Pittsburgh in 2025, too.
