The Pittsburgh Steelers made a shocking move by trading for perennial wide receiver DK Metcalf, who was given a five-year $150 contract by the Black and Gold. Pittsburgh, unfortunately, had to cough up their second-round pick for the 2025 NFL Draft in order to complete the trade for Metcalf, which means the Steelers will only have two picks in the first three rounds of the upcoming event. For the time being, George Pickens will line up opposite of Metcalf for the Steelers, giving the franchise the best wide receiver duo they’ve had in years.
Speculation about Pickens’ future in Pittsburgh has been a hot topic of conversation over the last year. Even before 2024, insiders and analysts believed the Steelers should move on from Pickens, who has brought tons of attention to himself and the organization with some of his antics on the field and off. Pickens is entering his fourth and final season of his rookie contract in Pittsburgh, and with the 2025 NFL Draft just around the corner, many Pittsburgh reporters believe it’s in the best interest of the franchise to send off Pickens in exchange for a new second-rounder in the draft.
Steelers insider with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Gerry Dulac recently reported that the Steelers have no plans to trade away Pickens in 2025. While there are plenty of arguments to be made for both sides whether or not Pickens should be dealt, Jeff Hathhorn believes the Steelers don’t want the rest of the NFL to know if they actually are interested in a trade involving Pickens.
“I trust [Gerry Dulac’s] reporting [that George Pickens will not be traded],” Hathhorn said Friday morning during his appearance on Pittsburgh’s 93.7 The Fan. “But I would say this – the Steelers don’t want it out there that they wanna trade George. ‘Hey, we’re gonna hang on, we need him, he’s gonna be part of this dual threat.’ And then someone says, ‘We’ll offer a second-round pick for you.’ ‘Well, okay I guess we’ll get rid of him for that.’ Just keep that in mind. When you look at who they brought in, there are a number of players of the 30 [pre-draft visits] that slot into that second round. Why would they spend their time with those guys if they weren’t at least thinking about getting back into the second round?”
The Steelers have met with many draft prospects that will likely not be selected until the second or third round this year. Pittsburgh not only needs fast answers at quarterback and defensive tackle, but the offensive skill position groups like running back and receiver are still on their agenda. Whether or not the Steelers wish to deal Pickens before the 2025 regular season will ultimately determine the sense of urgency they have drafting another receiver.
If the Steelers have any intentions of trading Pickens, it should happen before the draft in hopes of gaining a second-rounder. If no trade is made by then, Pickens will be lining up next to Metcalf in the black and gold for the final year of his rookie contract.
Steelers’ Wide Receivers Cannot Be Happy With Current Quarterback Status
Members of the current Steelers receiving core must be in some sort of concern. After hearing Aaron Rodgers speak publicly for the first time in months on Thursday, his words expressed no promise or commitment whatsoever. It doesn’t seem like Rodgers is anywhere close to coming to a final decision about joining the Steelers for 2025, and Pittsburgh’s standout receivers have no reason to be excitement for the upcoming season. If Rodgers doesn’t come to Pittsburgh to conclude his run, Metcalf and Pickens will likely be catching passes from either Mason Rudolph or a rookie quarterback this season.
Do you believe the Steelers should deal Pickens in exchange for a 2025 second-round pick which was lost in the trade for Metcalf?
