After trading George Pickens, it is past time to reassess the Steelers’ reputation as a wide receiver factory. Not because they traded Pickens, but because of what it implies. The thing is, Pickens’ production never outweighed the aggravation he engendered, and they knew about the aggravation all along. He entered the NFL with maturity issues, and he exits the Steelers with maturity issues.
That’s all part of the scouting profile, and the Steelers made the decision to draft George Pickens, trusting that they could handle him. Or at least, handle him enough to justify the production, which we never saw. In three seasons with the Steelers, Pickens recorded 12 touchdowns. Even considering the issues at quarterback, coordinator, and offensive line, that just doesn’t cut it. Not for a true No. 1 receiver who is a cantankerous personality and due a new contract.
And this is just the latest in a long line of what, in the end, proved to be disappointments. The Steelers have not signed a wide receiver they drafted or developed to a multi-year extension in over a decade, without trading them before the extension ran its course. The last receiver whom they signed to such an extension was Antonio Brown, whom they drafted in 2010.
The difference between George Pickens and Antonio Brown is Brown had elite production, not just elite talent. And when the aggravation outweighs the production, you bail. It’s as simple as that. The Steelers haven’t had a wide receiver who met that quotient in a long, long time. So it’s time to stop pretending they have some “secret sauce” at this point—because they don’t. What they had was a franchise quarterback and a couple of strokes of luck.
When the Steelers had a run from Hines Ward to Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders, sure, they merited praise for their ability to draft and develop wide receivers. But even Santonio Holmes wore out his welcome, and they traded him, too. Martavis Bryant produced more than Pickens ever did, but he, too, lacked impulse control. Another trade, followed by trades of Chase Claypool and Diontae Johnson.
And let’s not forget Markus Wheaton, James Washington, and Sammie Coates. All three were Day 2 draft picks who never amounted to much and disappeared after the Steelers parted ways with them. The lone exceptions are JuJu Smith-Schuster and Diontae Johnson, who actually made Pro Bowls in real life instead of just in their minds. In Smith-Schuster’s case, his body cheated him, primarily—it wasn’t because of TikTok. Johnson offered more than enough aggravation, yet he still outproduced Pickens.
The last very good wide receiver the Steelers drafted and developed who wasn’t crazy and had a long, successful career was Emmanuel Sanders. And he flourished after leaving Pittsburgh following his rookie contract. In the past 15 years, they have yet to develop a wide receiver worthy of a multi-year extension as the full package. If the Steelers are a wide receiver factory, then they need to shut down the plant with all the recalls they need to issue.
