Weighing the Pros & Cons of a George Pickens Trade
p/c: Tommy Gilligan
In the current landscape of Pittsburgh sports, Steelers wide receiver George Pickens has become a hot button topic.
The former University of Georgia product has displayed incredible, athleticism, during his three seasons with the Black & Gold.
Coming off a 1,140 yard receiving season, in 2023, Pickens recorded exactly 900 receiving yards this season, despite playing in 14 games.
But perhaps Pickens’ worst enemy at times can be Pickens himself - whether it’s giving nonchalant answers to the media, or in-game behavior.
While 900 yards seems impressive for Pickens, the caveat is that he struggled mightily, in the Steelers’ last four regular season games, averaging just 43 yards receiving.
Pickens has already been floated in trade discussions, for this offseason. But would it make sense? Here are the pros and cons:
Pros - When healthy, Pickens is a dynamic, deep ball threat, who can stretch the field, and when going right, can look like one of the best wideouts, within the AFC.
Cons - As well-documented, Pickens no doubt has shown his immaturity, on certain occasions. For the Steelers, it’s something that may be hurting the locker room morale. If Pickens is available in trade talks, that could hurt Omar Khan’s leverage, as teams known what a distraction Pickens potentially is.
Aside from Pickens’ personality, he’s also in the final year of his rookie contract, so given the lack of team control, for his services, you could probably rule out a first round pick, as part of a deal. Realistically, however, a second and third round pick, for this year’s draft, might get it done.
The idea of trading Pickens would depend on who the Steelers could sign in free agency. Most have speculated Cincinnati Bengals WR Tee Higgins as a potential target.
Even if Pittsburgh were to land Higgins, would they still want to move Pickens? Yes, there’s the headache that comes with the 23-year-old, but he’s a quality, wideout, on a very affordable salary. Also, Omar Khan doesn’t want to have a repeat of last offseason, when he dealt Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers, and had no real contingency plan, to replace Johnson. What the Steelers decide to do with Pickens will be one of many layers for this team to address.