The Pittsburgh Steelers’ wide receiver position was a weak spot all last season. They worked quickly to fill that need this offseason, trading a second-round pick for DK Metcalf and handing him a hefty contract extension. Naturally, after making that move, most thought of the WR position as less of a need in Pittsburgh. However, with George Pickens heading into the final year of his rookie contract, the Steelers still have some things to figure out at the position.
CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson thinks Matthew Golden, out of Texas, would fit well with Pittsburgh. He also believes that if the Steelers draft Golden, it could signal their desire to keep Pickens in Pittsburgh past 2025.
“Matthew Golden, to me, says we keep both those guys, DK [Metcalf] and George [Pickens],” Wilson said on 93.7 The Fan on Tuesday. “Because Matthew Golden’s 5’11” probably, and he is legit track-speed, we saw that at the Combine. But he was the best wide receiver on that team [Texas] last year… I love the idea of him being the No. 3 WR ahead of Calvin Austin cause he’s a little bigger than Calvin.”
“That, to me, would indicate that you keep George.”
When the Steelers traded for Metcalf, they instantly gained an impressive WR duo. However, some are pessimistic about the pairing, citing that they have similar skill sets. Golden would be a nice complement to the room. He can make contested catches like those two, but he would bring the type of speed that Pittsburgh hasn’t had on the offense for a while.
For now, there are reasons to believe the Steelers would want to move on from George Pickens. As of now, this is his last season tied to the Steelers, and Pittsburgh chose to go out and find a receiver to extend long-term instead of him.
Another reason is the unlikely chance of Pittsburgh signing two receivers to large deals. It was uncharacteristic of the Steelers to give Metcalf $150 million, and having two receivers on massive contracts would be extremely uncommon. The Bengals are trying to do it now with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but other than that, it’s something we rarely see in the NFL.
Pittsburgh also has Calvin Austin, who had a solid year in 2024. Roman Wilson wasn’t able to make an impact last year, but the Steelers are essentially getting another draft pick in him. For 2025, it’s somewhat of a crowded room. However, if George Pickens leaves in free agency, the Steelers will be in the same position they were in last year.
So, despite other needs, a player like Golden could be a candidate for Pittsburgh early in the draft. They liked him enough to bring him in for a visit recently. Maybe he’d fit the offense well enough for Pittsburgh to consider retaining George Pickens long-term.
