Heading into the 2025 NFL Draft, there were rumblings that the Pittsburgh Steelers may trade receiver George Pickens at some point during the draft. While a trade never happened, the Steelers reportedly did try to trade their young receiver but were unable to.
According Steel City Insider, the Steelers tried but failed to trade Pickens, potentially setting up some summer chaos as Pickens enters the final year of his rookie contract.
Based on the report, it appears that Pickens’ maturity issues are the main reason why the Steelers weren’t able to trade him. While Pickens’ talent is obvious, his ongoing struggles when it comes to controlling his emotions hurt his trade capital to the point where the Steelers were unable to move him.
Pickens’ emotions can sometimes take him out of games altogether. After he caught just one of six targets for zero yards in Pittsburgh’s Week 18 loss to Cincinnati last season, multiple Bengals defenders were overheard in the locker room afterwards talking about how Pickens spent virtually the entire game complaining.
Pickens’ potential was a big reason why he was a second-round pick back in 2022. At times, Pickens has showcased that potential while making plays that would suggest that he is capable of being an All-Pro player.
While he’s had his moments, Pickens’ potential has largely remained untapped. He eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark just once during his first three seasons. He’s caught just 12 touchdowns that included a career-low three touchdowns in 2024. This was especially on display late in the 2023 season, when he caught 11 of 13 targets for 326 yards and two touchdowns in wins over the Bengals and Seahawks that kept Pittsburgh’s playoff hopes alive.
You can attribute some of Pickens’ on-field struggles to inconsistent quarterback play and a lack of a supporting cast. That’s part of the reason why the Steelers went out and traded a second-round pick for DK Metcalf, to see how Pickens performs with player of Metcalf’s caliber opposite him.
It’s fair to wonder what the dynamic between Pickens and the Steelers will be like this season. Understandably, Pickens probably won’t be happy that Pittsburgh tried to trade him. That being said, it’s imperative that Pickens doesn’t allow that to impact his on-field performance as he is entering the final year of his rookie contract. A big season will help Pickens increase his market value for the 2026 offseason.
While the odds of Pittsburgh re-signing him are slim, it shouldn’t be ruled out entirely. Pickens, by most accounts, did a better job handling his emotions last season. An example of this occurred during Pittsburgh’s Week 13 win over Cincinnati, when he overcame early adversity (he was prematurely shoved by Cam Taylor-Britt that allowed the Bengals’ CB to record a pick-six) to make several big plays that included a game-tying touchdown.
The Steelers are surely hoping that Metcalf can also serve as positive influence on Pickens. The same could be said of Aaron Rodgers if the four-time league MVP decides to sign with Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh is counting on Pickens to be a significant contributor in 2025. The Steelers didn’t end up trading him, after all, and they didn’t select a receiver during the draft. It’s up to Pickens to decide how the next chapter in this story plays out.
This news was originally published on this post .
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