The Pittsburgh Steelers have an interesting decision to make within the next year or so, and that is what the future looks like between the organization and wide receiver George Pickens. Pickens is entering the final year of his rookie contract in 2025, and an extension seems unlikely at the moment. Some have even speculated that the former Georgia standout could be traded before the season rolls around, which is definitely a possibility after the addition of DK Metcalf.
AP photo
Steelers' George Pickens looks on during an away game in 2024.
The addition of Metcalf means that the Steelers have one of the better wide receiver duos in the league, although there is a chance that Pickens is not on Pittsburgh's roster by the time Week 1 rolls around. Pickens is a great receiver, but he has been a distraction far too much and he has a tendency to not play hard when things aren't going well. It would probably be wise for Pittsburgh to trade him ahead of the 2025 season, but fans also want to see the duo of Pickens and Metcalf in action.
Free agency is well under way in the NFL, and this time of year is full of various moves and trades. Fans are keeping a close eye on Pickens as his name will continue to be involved in trade rumors, and the receiver even posted a bit of a cryptic photo to his Instagram story on Tuesday.
George Pickens Instagram story 👀🤣 pic.twitter.com/eovH2TQI6V
— Anthony G. Halkias II (@anthonyghalkias) March 18, 2025
Posting a photo with the best quarterback to ever play the game is nothing crazy, but it is a bit off considering Brady is calling a lot of the shots for the Las Vegas Raiders now. Brady recently became part-owner of the Raiders, and he was heavily involved in the organization's search for a new head coach and general manager. The photo that was posted was likely just a little on-field meeting between Pickens and Brady ahead of a game on Fox during the 2024 season, but the timing of the post is certainly peculiar.
ESPN
Steelers' George Pickens takes his helmet off during loss to the Browns in Week 12 of the 2024 season.
The Raiders could certainly be a landing spot for Pickens if the Steelers were interested in moving on from him. Las Vegas could use an upgrade at wide receiver as the franchise is set to bring in a new season under a new regime, however it is hard to imagine the Steelers would trade Pickens within the conference. Most teams try to send their high-impact players across the league to the opposite conference, that way they can avoid playing them as much as possible.
Pickens also doesn't seem like the kind of player Brady would push to acquire. Brady has always appreciated hard work and excellent game planning, meanwhile there are countless instances where Pickens is barely running his routes. The wide receiver would be a good addition for Las Vegas, but it is hard to imagine Brady is doing any lobbying for the franchise to acquire Pickens because of that.
Steelers Trading George Pickens Would Make Zero Sense
Pittsburgh has been trying to upgrade the wide receiver position for well over a year, and the job finally got done when the deal for Metcalf went through. It would not make sense to make that deal, and then turn around and trade Pickens. It puts the franchise back at square one when it comes to the wide receiver position, where there isn't much depth behind the top guy.
Justin K. Aller / Getty Images
Steelers' George Pickens makes a big time catch against the Baltimore Ravens.
The Steelers have to allow this duo to get on the field together just to see how it all plays out, especially with the quarterback position still being up in the air. It is understandable for some fans to want to get some draft capital for Pickens before just allowing him to walk for nothing after the 2025 season, but if the Steelers want to win now, the franchise needs both receivers.
What do you think of Pickens' post? Let us know in the comments below!
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