Man, it’s 2024, and honestly, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ wide receiver lineup? Eh, not exactly brimming—except for George Pickens. But even Pickens, dude had his moments, and not all of them good. So, what do the Steelers do? They go and trade a second-round pick for DK Metcalf. Big moves, right? Oh, and they throw in a massive contract extension too, like, just to seal the deal.
Now, while all this is happening, Pickens is kinda just left hanging. He’s nearing the end of his rookie deal, and the Steelers aren’t really, you know, showering him with love or anything. Makes you wonder if they’ll just trade him, especially since draft time is just around the corner. There’s this chat KDKA’s Rich Walsh had with Jason Mackey on some sports podcast—you know, those usually have gems—and Walsh seems against the idea of a trade.
Walsh is all, “I’d rather hold onto Pickens,” like he’s got a point. He reckons you’d net a third-round pick at best, and it’s like, seriously, what’s the point? If Pickens walks in free agency, Steelers might snag a third-round compensatory pick anyway. Seems like simple math. Would another team even cough up a second-rounder for Pickens? Walsh doubts it, and okay, maybe I do too. It’d be cool to keep him around with Metcalf this year.
Pickens isn’t exactly a PR dream, if I’m being real, which earns him some odd stares and whispers. Signing Metcalf instead of extending Pickens is kinda a slap if you think about it. And Walsh’s point about comp picks? Pretty smart. Steelers could get something out of Pickens leaving, but they’d sit on it till 2027. Long wait, but hey, patience or something.
Now, Pickens’ value—it’s not golden. Last season wasn’t exactly his best. His targets and catches? Dropped to 103 and 59 in 2024 from 106 and 63 in 2023. Injuries, probably, definitely a factor. And man, his receiving yards tumbled too, from 1,140 to 900. He averaged less per catch, down by 2.8 yards. Scored only three TDs. Somebody hand him a luck charm, for real.
But still, Pickens isn’t bad. You see him in action, and he’s one of those guys who could wow you. It’s just, his market value? Not fantastic. Steelers have a narrow window to trade, but maybe it’s better to sit tight and see if a compensatory pick pans out.
Picture this: Pickens and Metcalf lighting up the field. That’s the duo dreams are made of, with any quarterback in 2025 thanking their lucky stars for having both. Together they’d wake up the run game, believe me. Bottom line, trading Pickens? I don’t see it working well for Pittsburgh. They’d maybe get the same return if he took his talents elsewhere. Just my two cents, but feels right to me.
