Ahead of the 2025 NFL draft, rumors were circulating about Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens, who has been the subject of trade speculation all offseason long.
It’s not hard to see why that’s the case. Pickens is entering the final year of his rookie deal and while he’s immensely talented, he has proven to be tough to trust because of his volatile nature. Understandably, it’s likely Pittsburgh is hesitant to give him a long-term deal as a result.
Ahead of the draft, FOX Sports Jordan Schultz confirmed that speculation isn’t outlandish, as he reported the Steelers were taking calls on the former second-rounder.
However, as the draft came and went, there was no movement on Pickens, although we do know the Dallas Cowboys were reportedly interested in him. Now that the 2025 draft has passed, Pickens is expected to remain in Pittsburgh.
“George Pickens’ name was tossed around in trade discussions this past week. The Cowboys were one of the teams that discussed bringing in the Steelers’ wideout, sources tell me. But with the draft in the rearview, expect the trade buzz to cool surrounding Pickens,” The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported.
While keeping Pickens leaves the Steelers in danger of letting him walk for nothing in 2026, it does make sense to keep him. After all, trading Pickens would leave the Steelers in the same boat they just climbed out of after trading for DK Metcalf.
Before that trade, Pittsburgh was sorely lacking reliable targets in the wide receivers room since last season.
Now, with Metcalf and Pickens, the Steelers have a formidable one-two punch that could prove to be elite. Pittsburgh also added Robert Woods on Monday to give some much-needed depth behind the impressive duo.
Now all that’s left is adding a proven starter who can get them the football. That will hopefully be Aaron Rodgers, who is the team’s best option by a country mile but has yet to make a decision about his future.
If Rodgers doesn’t sign and retires, the team will be left with lackluster options that include Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson, at which point Pittsburgh could opt to trade for Kirk Cousins, who isn’t great but is better than the aforementioned pair.
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