Steelers' Omar Khan May Be The Tiebreaking Vote On 1 Very Important Decision

The Pittsburgh Steelers have lots of questions that they need to answer during the 2025 offseason. One of the main priorities is the receiver position. General Manager Omar Khan tried to go big game hunting in 2024, but it didn't work out and there was no Plan B to stop it. Hopefully, he has learned his lesson and will pursue more low key starting options in case he can't acquire the likes of Tyreek Hill or Tee Higgins. However, that is not the only problem the Steelers have at that position: they still need to decide the future of George Pickens. 

Insider Mike DeFabo was asked in his recent mailbag about the willingness of the Steelers to move Pickens, as well as the potential return they could get for him. He gave a straightforward answer for a fair price, but admits that there may be a little bit of conflict about the situation as a whole.

"I doubt someone would give up a massive haul like the Hill or Adams trades," noted DeFabo. "I think something around a second-round pick would be fair for Pickens. Would Pittsburgh actually do it? I could see Mike Tomlin wanting to keep Pickens and Rooney more willing to part ways. We’ll see ultimately what Khan decides."

The Steelers received a second-round pick when they previously traded Chase Claypool, who was another disgruntled wideout who was still on his rookie contract -- so it somewhat lines up. However, with how much that backfired for the Steelers' trade partner, other teams may be less willing to take that risk -- like the Chicago Bears did. 

There is still the question of how everyone else feels about giving Pickens away. Head Coach Mike Tomlin is used to highly talented diva receivers, and it fits his boom-or-bust offensive scheme, so he may not want to cut ties with him so soon. This is especially with the fact that they currently don't have another starting-caliber receiver on the team. 

While Owner Art Rooney II seems to let his employees do their own thing, he still cares about the general appearance of his team. He wouldn't want the state of the Steelers to be compromised by a malcontent that crashes out after losses and/or poor performances. If Pickens makes the team look bad, it may be time to trade him and find someone else.

That leaves Khan with the controls. Does he side with his head coach and potentially upset his boss, or does he side with ownership and go against Tomlin, despite the amount of power that the coach has with roster construction? There are many factors that play itself out in this scenario.

Why Would The Steelers Trade Pickens Away?

At very least, the Steelers need to put Pickens on the trade block and see if they can't get some sort of crazy offer from another team. If a receiver-needy franchise offers them a first round pick for Pickens, you don't let that go to waste. While that most likely won't happen, it doesn't hurt to try and see what's being thrown out there.

If the Steelers strike out in free agency or the trade market again, they may have to keep Pickens. Respectfully, they can't go into the regular season with Calvin Austin III as their top wideout. The team can't expect a rookie to take over the starting role on Day 1 either. The way the offseason is handled could be the primary factor that influences which side Khan takes.

Either way, it doesn't seem like a long-term extension will be in Pickens' future, at least in Pittsburgh. Even if the Steelers keep him, they will be playing this same game again in 2026. If that's the case, trading him seems to be the right move. Why lose him and maybe get a compensatory pick back when you can trade him and receive actual compensation?

What do you think about Khan being the tiebreaking vote for deciding what happens with Pickens? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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