The speculation surrounding George Pickens’ future with the Pittsburgh Steelers loudened following DK Metcalf’s arrival via trade from the Seattle Seahawks earlier this month.
Pickens is heading into the final year of his rookie contract, which may spur extension talks between his camp and the team.
After handing Metcalf a new five-year, $132 million deal, however, the probability of Pittsburgh shelling out a significant amount of money to two wide receivers is rather low.
Pickens has consequently been floated as a potential trade chip, but Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was quick to clarify that his status within the organization has yet to change despite what’s transpired so far this offseason.
“I don’t know that it affects him in any way,” Tomlin said at the annual league meetings. “Directly, certainly, the strength of the pack is the pack, and when you have eligibles that are schematic problems for those that defend you, it creates more opportunity for all involved, and I think that’s probably the only lens through which I’ve looked at that to this point. I know as a guy who grew up on the defensive side of the ball, when you’ve got multiple people schematically that you’ve got to work to minimize, it really challenges you in terms of some of the things that you do. We see similar challenges within our division, for example, and so we’re excited about putting together a group that has that type of collective presence.”
General manager Omar Khan agreed with that sentiment when asked a similar question regarding any shift in how Pittsburgh views Pickens both now and in the future.
“No,” Khan said. “You need more than one receiver in this league, and we’re fortunate we have George and Calvin [Austin III] and excited about Roman [Wilson] is gonna be able to do for us.”
For as long as they play together, Metcalf and Pickens will keep opposing defensive coordinators up at night and supply Pittsburgh with a lethal duo in the passing game.
Amidst all the talk about them possessing redundant skill sets and filling the same niche, Tomlin made sure to draw a line between the two with a touch of humor.
“I don’t necessarily view them as similar, to be quite honest with you,” Tomlin said. “They’re both downfield capable, but they’re different people. I mean, DK [Metcalf] is a big man, ‘GP’ [George Pickens] is tall. There’s a difference.”
The issue, of course, is that the pairing doesn’t seem sustainable. The Cincinnati Bengals went against the grain by extending both Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins over four years for $161 million and $115 million, respectively, but it would come as more than a minor surprise if Pittsburgh employed a similar strategy.
Pickens’ situation profiles as one of the more intriguing Steelers storylines to follow over the coming months. It would be tough to part ways with the 23-year-old star even when considering his behavioral concerns, as he’s logged 2,841 yards and 12 touchdowns in three seasons, but netting draft picks by sending him elsewhere before he reaches free agency may be the correct approach.
The amount of resources Pittsburgh poured into Metcalf suggests that he’s more or less the team’s bonafide No. 1 receiver. While keeping Pickens around as his running mate for years to come would represent an ideal outcome, it simply may not be feasible from a team-building or monetary perspective.
He still stands a chance of sticking around for the 2025 season, but retaining him long-term is no longer a straightforward process for the Steelers.
