Steelers receiver drama doesn’t end with George Pickens
With news of the trade the Pittsburgh Steelers made with the Dallas Cowboys over wide receiver George Pickens still on everyone’s minds, the social media sphere has been spinning out of control. The rumors, conjecture, and drama over the trade deal and what the Steelers may do to solidify their receivers corps won’t end with Pickens.
Talk surrounding the Pickens trade
The NFL world is still reeling that the Steelers traded away what many analysts feel is a top-tier receiver in Pickens. Dallas sent Pittsburgh a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick in exchange for the 24-year-old wide receiver and a 2027 sixth-round pick.
Some feel the move was crazy. They believe the Steelers could have gotten a better deal, done the deal earlier, or shouldn’t have done the trade at all.
Jeff Howe of The Athletic wrote, “Some teams polled by The Athletic [during the 2025 NFL Draft] laughed at the idea of inviting Pickens into their locker room for any price, let alone a second-day draft pick. There wasn’t a lot of interest in talking with the Steelers about a trade… It’s on Pickens to prove them wrong.”
Pickens reportedly had hit his ceiling when it came to how much longer Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin would wait for the young receiver to mature. Apparently, Pickens had other thoughts.
George Pickens on Mike Tomlin saying last season he needed to grow up: “Just taking one day at a time. I feel like everybody in the world is working on growing on their bettering of their self. I feel like growth for me is taking a great direction in me coming to the Cowboys.”
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) May 8, 2025
On X, former Steeler Trai Essex said, “GP is a first round talent. The only reason he slipped to the 2nd round was because of maturity/character issues. This was known to everyone. The team that drafted him needed to give him a sense of stability in order to maximize his full potential. That can come in the form of a vet QB. A vet WR. Consistent voice at OC. A consistent voice at WR coach. He didn’t get any of that. GP needed to meet them halfway. He never got there. They failed each other.”
That statement has Steelers Nation in a tug of war on social media. The blame game is evident throughout the thread; some say Pickens just didn’t understand what it took to be a good teammate and control his emotions while others argue it all boils down to Tomin.
Related content:
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- Throwback Thursday: Steelers recent receiver trade returns
One thing that can’t be argued is that Pickens did not take advantage of opportunities he was given in 2024. He was targeted 103 times yet caught 59 receptions in 14 games.
Yes, he had three touchdowns, but his catch percentage and yards per target dipped… kind of like what he did instead of blocking, showing hustle, and not drawing unnecessary penalties.
The rumors keeping the Steelers receiver drama alive
Now that Pickens is off to Dallas, the rumors regarding receivers the Steelers may add has ramped up heavily, creating a drama that has been manifested to life. No mention that D.K. Metcalf, Robert Woods, and Calvin Austin could serve Pittsburgh just fine in 2025. It’s all focused on who the Steelers should seek out and sign.
Enter the Brandon Aiyuk talk once again – thanks a lot Mike Florio – and add a few other names, like Romeo Doubs that Andrew Filliponi insists the Steelers are seeking out.
Source: The Steelers have inquired about Packers WR Romeo Doubs. Green Bay drafted 2 WRs. And Aaron Rodgers played with Doubs in 2022. It’s believed Rodgers really likes Doubs. We’ll see where this goes. pic.twitter.com/mMTkLVON99
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) May 8, 2025
If you trusted every prognosticator out there, you’d think the Steelers have nothing else to focus on but getting another receiver.
Maybe the Steelers will seek out another receiver to add to the players previously mentioned and the following receivers on the roster: Brandon Johnson, Lance McCutcheon, Scotty Miller, Ben Skowronek, Roc Taylor, Ke’Shawn Williams, and Roman Wilson. Or maybe they won’t.
Not everything has to become a drawn-out drama. And another wide receiver may not even be a priority considering the Steelers didn’t take one in the 2025 NFL Draft. They went out and got Metcalf and Woods, two solid veterans, and that may be the end of their dealing.
The issue is that the media and fans will not let the drama die with the Pickens trade. The more guessing involved, the more opportunities to fulfill some need to predict the future and be able to say, “See, I was right.”
By training camp, we will see what the Steelers’ long-term plans are as it relates to the upcoming 2026 season. Until then, the post-Pickens trade will undoubtedly continue to generate plenty of chatter that may turn out to be for naught.
