The Pittsburgh Steelers have been know for drafting wide receivers throughout the 21st century. No franchise is going to be 100% successful when targeting any given position during the NFL Draft, but the Steel City has welcomed several talented pass-catchers over the years. One of the recent trends, however, has been the troubling behavior of some of those wideouts, both on the field and in the locker room. The latest situation that has unfolded over the last couple of years surrounds George Pickens, an all-world talent that just seems to not be able to get out of his own way.
%202023%20Camp%20Final%20with%20Logos/2L9A5348-544x306.jpg "Steelers George Pickens")
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Wide receiver George Pickens (#14) walks off the field with his head down during the Pittsburgh Steelers' 2023 training camp practice in Latrobe, PA.
As the Steelers enter the 2025 offseason and prepare for the new league year, it is evident that the organization needs to bolster the receiving corps. No one is quite sure yet if that will include Pickens or not. He is eligible for a contract extension, but if Pittsburgh has no plans on him staying around for longer than his rookie deal, it might make sense to trade him now to get some draft capital in return.
One of the problems for the Steelers is that Pickens is the unquestioned top pass-catcher on the depth chart. Right now, from a wide receivers standpoint, only Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson remain under contract in 2025 (along with Pickens). Pittsburgh has a lot of work to do, but it could be hard to follow the franchise's recent trend of moving on from problematic wide receivers.
Brian Batko covers the team for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and highlighted the franchise's most recent example of a headache ensuing due to a wideout. Diontae Johnson was trending in the exact direction that Pickens is now when he was dealt, but there's one major issue if the front office does indeed decide to deal Pickens to another organization.
"They traded Johnson once his disgruntled antics outweighed his production, and Pickens seems to be teetering on that same threshold now," Batko wrote. "But Johnson had Pickens waiting in the wings behind him to soar even higher. There’s no such in-house replacement for the 2022 second-round pick."
The reporter continued by touching on the current make-up of the depth chart, and gave a suggestion revolving around the idea of trading Pickens. General Manager Omar Khan has to be willing to make a massive splash.
"But if Wilson is best suited to be a No. 2 option and Austin a No. 3, or vice versa, the Steelers either need to figure out the Pickens predicament or swing a major move to make him expendable."
One of the challenges facing Khan is that the free agency pool is not expected to be incredibly attractive. Even a first-round pick can't be relied on to immediately jump in as the top receiver, so it's completely possible that the trade market will need to be tapped into.
Trevor Ruszkowski / USA Today Sports
Steelers General Manager Omar Khan sits in front of the media to answer questions during his first NFL Scouting Combine as the head of the team's front office in 2023.
It can't be understated that the Steelers need to drastically improve on the offensive side of the ball if the goal is to win playoff games as soon as 2025. It would seem counterproductive to trade away your best player on that side of the ball, but it's possible that Pickens causes more harm than good overall due to the negative media attention he brings to the team.
Batko hit the nail on the head, however, when analyzing the situation. Pittsburgh's offense looked completely dumbfounded without Pickens in the lineup for three games towards the end of the 2024 campaign. If the goal is to trade him, Khan has to make sure he has the position taken care of first. This could come with a free-agency splash (if Tee Higgins or Chris Godwin hit the market), or a significant trade that helps the offense monumentally.
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Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin jogs on the field after playing a professional football game.
Steelers' 2025 Offseason Has To Have Strong Offensive Emphasis
Pittsburgh certainly needs to get better on the defensive line and in the secondary, but the reality of the situation is that the offense needs to be completely revamped. That could be with or without Pickens, but before a decision there is made, Khan needs to have a plan in place to add more weapons to the roster. On top of that, no one knows who will be at quarterback in 2025, presenting a completely different challenge to the franchise.
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