Although his contract runs through the 2025 season, there is no guarantee that WR George Pickens will be on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ roster next season. Pro Football Focus’ Bradley Locker included Pickens on his list of 15 offseason trade candidates. Potential players on the move. The reason is mainly related to something other than his soccer talent.
“Pickens has a contract year in 2025 and will definitely ask for compensation before entering next season. The question is whether the Steelers want to commit to him long-term.” Rocker wrote.
As he noted, Pickens is in a contract year, the first year in which he will be eligible for a long-term extension. The Steelers’ leading receiver in 2024 and one of the most physically gifted talents at the position, he could command a significant raise and take advantage of a hot receiver market. Asking for $30 million per season isn’t out of the question either.
It’s not clear if the Steelers are ready to pony up. They have to feel as comfortable with Pickens the person as they do with Pickens the player. Someone who is quick to let his frustrations out and is always in the news for seemingly unrelated pass catches and touchdowns. In addition, although he did not perform well in the game against the Bengals in Week 18, he missed three games due to a hamstring injury, and the regular season ended with disappointing results.
Moving Pickens isn’t a far-fetched idea considering other great talents and big-headed receivers have finished their time in Pittsburgh. He would be the latest in a long line of names that includes Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, Chase Claypool and Diontae Johnson. The Steelers have a favorable deal on all of those, and could make a similar evaluation for Pickens.
Locker believes a trade is a certainty.
“Pittsburgh trading Pickens is not as unlikely as one might think. deep free agent receiver crop,” he said.
Cincinnati Bengals WR Tee Higgins is the top name scheduled to hit the open market. Chris Godwin of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Amari Cooper of the Buffalo Bills are also big names set to become free agents, and college football’s big-play passing game allows each draft class to deepen its position at the position. It seems there is. PFF’s list of 15 trade candidates also includes several other wide receivers, including DK Metcalf of the Seattle Seahawks, Deebo Samuel of the San Francisco 49ers and Garrett Wilson of the New York Jets.
While this may give Pittsburgh the confidence to trade Pickens and fill in elsewhere, it also gives the other 31 teams an option other than trading Pickens and paying him.
