The Pittsburgh Steelers made waves on Wednesday morning, sending WR George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys. Opinions vary wildly about how the Steelers fared in the trade. Some feel like the Steelers are clear winners. They got compensation for a talented wide receiver who has a reputation for not giving it all and being a distraction. ESPN’s Brooke Pryor said that the people inside the Steelers’ facility were relieved once the trade was finalized.
Others, like former Steelers CB Bryant McFadden, feel like the Steelers are worse off today than they were on Tuesday. McFadden pointed out that the Steelers struggled offensively last year without another receiver stepping up to complement Pickens. Now they’re in essentially the same boat. You can certainly say DK Metcalf is a better wide receiver, results-wise and effort-wise, than Pickens. But there are no real proven options on the roster behind him, much like last year with Pickens.
That’s why there have been so many rumors and connections since the trade went down. Could the Steelers pursue a guy like former Jacksonville Jaguars WR Gabe Davis? Keenan Allen and Amari Cooper are both free agents. And since the Steelers are still interested in QB Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets WR Allen Lazard is a hot name. Regardless of whom they pursue, Chris Simms says they’ve got to get someone in the building.
“I just would be shocked if we went here from all the way to training camp without Pittsburgh bringing in another proven commodity,” Simms said Thursday on Pro Football Talk. “I think that they’re, you got to look at their roster if you’re a GM or a coach, you got to go ‘Wait, it’s a little risky with the group we’re going into here this year. Do we really want to do this?’ Like, I know we got some under-the-radar potential guys, but what if they don’t reach that potential? Or they’ve been injured in the past, and they get injured again? And then we’re like, “Oh, damn, we’re in Shitsville, USA here today again.'”
The wide receiver room does not have many impact players beyond DK Metcalf at the moment. Calvin Austin III had his best season as a pro in 2024, but it wasn’t at the level of a WR2. He had 26 catches for 548 yards and four touchdowns. He produced 15.2 yards per catch, but can he be a reliable receiving option?
At one point, Robert Woods was a reliable option at receiver. But he’s 33 years old and coming off his first NFL season without a receiving touchdown. In 2019 and 2020, he had 90 receptions with the Los Angeles Rams. But he hasn’t had 50 receptions in the last two seasons.
The Steelers will obviously be hoping that Roman Wilson makes some sort of impact in his second year after barely playing in 2024. And according to Jeremy Fowler, that’s exactly what the Steelers are banking on. But Wilson is both the potential and injured receiver Simms referred to. So is Austin, to a degree.
Will the Steelers look to add another wide receiver at this point? Only time will tell, but the need is certainly there.
