The Pittsburgh Steelers are in pursuit of Aaron Rodgers, even though the Minnesota Vikings reportedly hold his heartstrings. So whether George Pickens is a future receiver of his remains to be seen. But an NFL insider dropped a bombshell on the Pickens contract versus trade decision.
Apparently, Pickens isn’t going anywhere — or getting paid. Steelers beat writer Mark Kaboly said it’s highly unlikely the Steelers will extend Pickens’ contract, according to 93.7 The Fan via steelersdepot.com.
“I think there’s zero chance that happens,” Kaboly said to Austin Bechtold. “You pay Metcalf $30 million. This is almost one and done (for Pickens.) I don’t see any way he would come back at all.”
Steelers WR George Pickens may play elsewhere in 2026
One of the problems for Pickens is his volatility. With the way some wide receivers with his same issue have flamed out in recent years, it’s hard to imagine the Steelers — or any other NFL team — willing to load up a cash haul for him.
So why don’t the Steelers simply ship Pickens to another team via trade and let them worry about it?
“They think they can win now,” Kaboly said. “With every decision they make, they believe they’re gonna win the division, get in the playoffs, and have a chance at the Super Bowl. The fans might not believe it as a whole, but the organization believes it.”
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin had some things to say about Pickens’ on- and off-field behavior, according to Sports Illustrated.
“He’s just got to grow up, man,” Tomlin said. “This is an emotional game, man, these divisional games are big. He got a target on his back because he’s George. (And) he understands that. But he’s got to grow up. He’s got to grow up in a hurry.”
Pickens received multiple fines this season, twice for unsportsmanlike conduct. During the 2023 season, Pickens also had concerning behavioral issues.
Another question is whether Metcalf and Pickens will pair well together in the 2025 season. Analyst Daniel Jeremiah said it doesn’t look great, according to 40s and Free Agents podcast via steelersdepot.com.
“… To me, it does feel like they are very similar,” Jeremiah said. “They are going to ask to do similar things. I feel like D.K. Metcalf was brought in with the hope that he could kind of do what A.J. Brown did when he went from the Titans to the Eagles. Which was immediately infuse some much-needed playmaking into that offense. And he’s still in his prime. He’s still young.”
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