Steelers Legend Thinks Pittsburgh Should Consider Trading George Pickens
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens is heading into the final year of his rookie deal in 2025. And given how the first three years have gone, his future in Pittsburgh is very uncertain. The 23-year-old has been fined on many occasions and a recent report revealed he arrived late to the Steelers Christmas day game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Steelers have given Pickens more than enough time to mature, but it feels as though he has taken more steps backwards than towards that goal.
“There’s certainly, obviously, more room for growth there,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said about Pickens during his season-ending press conference on Tuesday. “I think he covered some ground in 2024, but there’s certainly a heck of a lot more ground to be covered. We’ll see where it leads us.”
Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger thinks the Steelers have to consider trading the highly talented but also unpredictable wide receiver.
“You either sign him to a long-term deal and give him a bunch of money. You let him play this year—you franchise him—then he’s gone, so you have two years with him. You trade him, because right now is the only time that he’s worth anything. Next year he’s on his last deal anyway,” Roethlisberger said on his Footbahlin podcast.
“Now the issue with trading him is you don’t have a number two right now. So if you get rid of your number one, now you don’t have a one or a two.”
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Roethlisberger thinks the Steelers significantly lack talent on offense, and moving on from Pickens would be the best option. He believes trading defensive stars like Minkah Fitzpatrick and T.J. Watt is not the answer.
“The Steelers have to invest in the offense this offseason. I know people are talking about, but does that mean you are trading Minkah? Are you trading T.J.? What are you doing there? I don’t know that I agree with that,” Roethlisberger said. “I’m telling you, that’s what people are talking about. I wouldn’t get rid of him. I don’t think that’s the right move. I think you can move on from George and get something for him.”
Aaron Becker provided reporting for this story.