The Pittsburgh Steelers were always going to cast as many lines as possible at the receiver position and hope to land that big fish this offseason. That big fish was caught in the form of DK Metcalf, and it came with a rather large bag as Metcalf agreed to a five-year, $150 million deal with the Steelers.
While many within the Steelers’ building, as well as in the fan base, were celebrating the acquisition of Metcalf as it filled a major need, attention shifted to wide receiver George Pickens and what it means for his future.
For now, it seems like the Steelers might keep him and continue to build up their offense. But after handing out a huge contract to Metcalf before he even played a snap for Pittsburgh, and Pickens entering a contract year, things could get messy with the mercurial young receiver.
For Bomani Jones, host of “The Right Time with Bomani Jones” if you believe that Pickens will be just fine with Metcalf paid by the Steelers and him not getting a new contract, you are “bonkers.”
“We all got the same things to say about DK Metcalf. Very big, very strong, very fast. He becomes your number one wide receiver in Pittsburgh. You have another receiver there now named George Pickens, and I believe George Pickens is going into Year 4, which is to say George Pickens is probably going to want his money and you just gave that money to somebody else,” Jones said, according to video via the show’s YouTube page. “If you think George Pickens does not want his money, you are bonkers.
“If you think that George Pickens is a guy to trust a whole season without getting his money, you are a different person than me.”
Bomani has a message for the Pittsburgh Steelers after the DK Metcalf trade:
“If you think George Pickens does not want his money you are bonkers.” pic.twitter.com/hTdmBWOJA1
— The Right Time with Bomani Jones (@righttimebomani) March 11, 2025
Pickens has been a curious situation since the 2024 season ended. A second-round pick in 2022, he doesn’t have a fifth-year option, so he’s entering into the final year of his rookie contract. With that, he’s coming off of a strong season in which he hauled in 59 passes for 900 yards and three touchdowns, showing up in timely fashion as a big-play receiver throughout the season.
Despite all the big plays on the field, he still has quite a bit of growing up to do, which has led to some pointed criticism from head coach Mike Tomlin at times.
Though the Steelers and GM Omar Khan reportedly had a strong exit meeting with Pickens, they never seemed to be in a rush to work out an extension with Pickens, not after some of the headaches over the last three seasons.
Now, with Metcalf in the fold with big money and uncertainty at quarterback, this could get dicey with Pickens, just based on his history. Hopefully a second year under wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni continues to do positive things for him, but time will tell.
