Those inside the Pittsburgh Steelers organization put a lot into the Aaron Rodgers’ basket this offseason. So much so that before Rodgers even signed in Pittsburgh, the organization already was making moves it thought he’d appreciate.
Pittsburgh traded wide receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys on May 7 while Rodgers didn’t put pen to paper until June 7. Still, the Pickens trade apparently was made with those inside the building predicting a potential rift between the veteran quarterback and talkative wideout.
“The Steelers moved on from Pickens for a few reasons,” ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler recently wrote. “His maturity issues were well-known within Pittsburgh’s locker room and front office. So, the Steelers made the evaluation that Pickens and Rodgers probably would not hit it off.”
It’s worth stressing that Rodgers never asked the Steelers to trade Pickens, according to Fowler’s report. The team, however, felt it was best for both parties to move on — likely knowing the Rodgers signing was not far down the road.
In the Pickens trade, the Steelers acquired the Cowboys’ third-round pick in 2026 and will benefit from a late-round pick swap in 2027.
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Featured image via Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images