Report: Steelers Were Never Truly Interested In Trading George Pickens Away

After trading away their second-round pick, the Pittsburgh Steelers were expected to make some moves to get back into that round to help fill some needs. Wide receiver George Pickens was rumored to be on the trade block, and he would have potentially been the primary piece to get that pick back, but nothing ever materialized. The team stood pat and didn't make a single deal until the fifth round, when they traded back and picked up an extra seventh-round pick in the process, and that seems to have been the right decision. 

Mark Kaboly talked about the Pickens rumors on Kaboly + Mack, and he talked about how there was never any smoke around it in the first place.

"Don't forget that the George Pickens trade talk was really never [a thing]," Kaboly said. "You take a call and say 'Ok, no thanks,' so they're not interested in moving him unless something crazy happens and he demands it."

Even after acquiring DK Metcalf, the Steelers are low on wide receiver depth, so trading Pickens for a second-rounder may not have made the most sense. If they did trade him, they would have most likely used that pick to select another wideout in a class that was somewhat weak at that position. They're still hoping that Roman Wilson will actually be able to contribute, so getting rid of an established player for another rookie wild card may have been questionable. 

Pickens is also a quality scheme fit, as his deep-ball skills match up perfectly with what Head Coach Mike Tomlin wants out of his offense. That also lines up with Mason Rudolph's skillset, as his best trait is his deep pass. Even if the volatile receiver wanted to be traded away, there wouldn't be many other teams in the NFL that could give him the best opportunity to thrive.

This will be a prove-it year for Pickens in many ways. He is in a contract year, so the front office will be looking for any excuse to lower his value in contract negotiations in the two months before the 2026 new league year. Even as the highly talented catalyst of the offense, there are a lot of things for him work on if he wants his own payday.

Of course, there are the maturity issues. While the selfishness has seemingly died down, he still can't handle losing or having bad games. All but one of his outbursts in the 2024 season came during or after games in which the Steelers lost. If he can figure out how to control his emotions there and use them to his advantage, he could become an even scarier player in the league. 

He also needs to work a little more on his route running. Even though Metcalf has not played a snap for the Steelers yet, they gave him an extension worth $33 million per year in new money. The veteran wideout is also a deep threat that can't run routes well. If Pickens wants to stand out and show that he's different, he has to improve that part of the game and show that he can do a lot more than run in a straight line down the sideline.

Why Would Steelers Want To Trade George Pickens?

Since Metcalf got his extension, it would not make a lot of sense for the Steelers to give $30+ million to another receiver at the same time. He and Pickens have the same exact skillset, and the veteran is practically uncuttable with the contract he was given, which would mean the younger wideout could be seen as expendable.

If they can get a second or third-round pick at the trade deadline, they would easily take that in exchange for a rental, especially if Wilson develops as expected. The most they can get from a comp pick from letting him walk is something at the very end of the third round. If the cards fall right early in the regular season, he could be shipped off.

What do you think about the Steelers having no interest in trading Pickens away during the draft? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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