It’s become clear that the Pittsburgh Steelers need to make changes after a first-round exit in the playoffs for the second season straight.
The Steelers took strides in the right direction with their offseason additions last summer but fell short to the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild-Card round of the playoffs. Pittsburgh’s offense struggled in its last five games of the year, failing to score more than 17 points. One question mark for the offense is what to do with star wide receiver George Pickens.
While predicting the Steelers 2025 offseason plans, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo urged the team to trade Pickens away ahead of next season.
“Pickens is entering the final year of his rookie contract,” Fittipaldo said. “He is supremely talented, but he comes with plenty of baggage. The Steelers have three choices: they can trade him, sign him to an extension or let him play out the final year of his deal.”
“They would have to use premium draft resources or allocate big money in free agency to acquire a premier player to replace him, but it feels like he’s more trouble than he’s worth. Decision: Trade him.“
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Pickens amassed 900 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 59 catches in 14 games this season. He was the Steelers’ leading receiver by a wide margin, but maturity issues remain problematic for the young receiver. Pickens will be on the last year of his rookie contract next season, so the Steelers will have a decision to make about either paying him or moving on from him.
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