The Steelers, internally, were breathing easy after finalizing the George Pickens trade, according to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. While some reports did emerge in recent months, they largely worked quietly in orchestrating this deal, as is their tendency. Although not surprising that they pulled the trigger, it still felt like it came out of nowhere.
No team wants to be in the business of removing its most talented players from its roster. Whatever else he might be, George Pickens was certainly among the Steelers’ most talented players. But for many reasons, on many levels, they understood internally this was the right move. All they had to do was wait for an acceptable offer, and the Cowboys finally budged.
Asked yesterday on ESPN what the “general feeling” was inside the Steelers’ facility after trading Pickens, Pryor said, “It’s relief. And I think that’s because this is a team that knew a move like this could happen. They had discussed the potential for a George Pickens trade prior to the draft. They were listening to calls. Obviously, [they] tabled it during the draft.
“And then it came together last night and was finalized this morning. This is an organization that knows how talented George Pickens is, but that calculus changed”. Pryor added that the Steelers are “not panicking” after losing a top receiver. After all, it wouldn’t make any sense to panic, since they made the choice to trade him. If doing so would have sent them into a panic, then they obviously made the wrong choice.
While trading George Pickens opens a hole in the Steelers’ starting roster, there are ways to address it. The ideal scenario would be for their internal options, chiefly Roman Wilson, to step up. DK Metcalf is their new No. 1 WR, and he is a proven commodity—more than Pickens was. Behind him, they now have Wilson, Calvin Austin III, and the recently signed Robert Woods.
But the Steelers can still add pieces, with another name popping up shortly after the Steelers traded Pickens. The Jaguars released veteran Gabe Davis, who might make sense for Pittsburgh. One wonders if Jacksonville hoped to unload him to the Cowboys if the Pickens deal fell through, given the timing.
It’s not an absolute lock that the Steelers sign another receiver to fill in for Pickens, but there are some veteran options available. In addition to Davis, the biggest names are perhaps Amari Cooper and Keenan Allen. Both are certainly past their prime but could have something left in the tank as a WR2 or WR3. Also available is DJ Chark, whose 2024 season never really got doing due to a hip injury.
The Steelers are experiencing relief to have the George Pickens saga behind them, but what is in front of them? Are they comfortable with where they stand at wide receiver without Pickens. If not, what do they intend to do about it? They have options—we’re not even in rookie minicamp yet—but they won’t find another George Pickens. Both the good and the bad.
