MAY 5: During a Sunday SportsCenter appearance, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported (via Bleacher Report) Pickens’ desire is to remain in Pittsburgh, adding negotiations on the trade front have “really cooled.” Pickens should be expected to at least start the 2025 campaign as a Steeler, but his future beyond that period will no doubt remain a talking point.
MAY 4:Â Steelers wide receiver George Pickensâ time with the club is limited, according to senior NFL reporter James Palmer in a piece for Bleacher Report (video link). Palmer expects Pickens to be out of Pittsburgh at some point before the 2026 season, either as a result of a pre-deadline trade in 2025 or simply because the Steelers allow the contract-year player to depart in free agency next March.
In light of recent trade reports regarding Pickens â reports in which Pittsburgh was said to be both making and receiving calls on the Georgia product â Palmerâs report does not come as a surprise. Questions about Pickensâ maturity have dogged him before and after he turned pro, and Palmer says âit has not gone well behind the scenes at allâ between Pickens and the team.Â
Aside from any off-field issues the Steelers might have with the 24-year-old deep threat, moving on from him would be consistent with their standard operating procedure. As our Sam Robinson noted as part of the pre-draft trade chatter surrounding Pickens, Pittsburgh tends to authorize one notable contract for its WR corps while filling out the rest of the depth chart with cost-controlled talent. Since the Steelers invested both significant draft capital and a high-end contract into recent trade acquisition D.K. Metcalf, it stands to reason that they would move on from Pickens before he gets his second NFL deal.
Still, the team does plan to compete for a postseason berth in 2025, and whatever headaches Pickens might bring to the locker room, he has performed as well as could be expected with less-than-stellar quarterback play during his first three years in the NFL. He led the league with an 18.1 yards-per-catch rate in 2023 as part of a 63/1,140/5 performance, and he likely would have approached or eclipsed the 1,100-yard mark again in 2024 if he had not missed three games due to injury (the only three contests he has missed in his career).
Plus, although Palmer confirms the Steelers did a great deal of research on the 2025 class of college wideouts, they did not use any of their seven selections on a pass catcher. Last weekâs addition of Robert Woods notwithstanding, Pittsburghâs WR corps would be dealt a notable blow if Pickens were to be traded now.
Palmer does not expect a trade to happen in the immediate future, instead suggesting that the November deadline would be a more likely timeframe for such a deal to take place. If they keep him in the fold through the start of the 2025 campaign, the Steelers would presumably only move Pickens before the deadline if they are out of playoff contention. Otherwise, it would seem as if the team would retain him through the end of the year and perhaps position itself for a compensatory pick if he indeed signs elsewhere in 2026.Â
âStill, the team does plan to compete for a postseason berth in 2025â
Their QB room says otherwise.
Beat me to it. Who’s throwing to their WR’s? Only scrubs are on the roster and available.
Becasue regardless of what you TWO think. THEY (meaning the Steelers organization) think they have a good shot to make the playoffs either with an outside QB acquisition OR with Rudolph. Period.
From google: Mason Rudolph has a career win-loss record of 14-14-1. This includes a 9-8-1 record as a starter. In his six-year NFL career, he has played in 29 regular season games, with 18 starts.
Great! Another one and done playoff for the franchise. Mike T is the master of that.
If I was Pickens I’d want out by 2025. However his attitude and general malaise say nobody probably wants to invest in him. I want to know what part of the Steelers draft personnel scouts WR’s who can become head cases. They seem to find every one.
Either way, itâs a make or break year for him. He hasnât shown himself to be an Antonio Brown type of receiver yet and if itâs another year of pouting, quitting on plays and diva-like behavior, you wonder what his market will be. He just refuses to get out of his own way
Smartest comments I’ve ever heard on the draft and why I ALWAYS say trading BACK makes more sense than trading UP.
link to x.com
Will be out of the league three years tops after he leaves Pittsburgh. The next Claypool.
@Unclemike…I completely agree with you except for the “nobody wants to invest in him” part. Someone will pay the guy. He’s far too talented and someone “the Raiders” will pay him because a highly talented receiver is what they need and they’ll deal with the headache to go and get what they want. Whether or not it works out…we will see. But we’ve all seen what has happened with Steeler castoffs and it isn’t pretty.
Thus leading to the coining of the phrase” A fool and his money are soon parted”. If he acts weird in one place chances are he’ll keep it up in another.
Exactly right. Couldn’t have said it better.
But AR is still available
AR took a 9+ win Jets team (according to Vegas) and turned them into a team that was lucky to win 5. His Achilles blowout means he canât avoid pressure anymore – similar to Cousins and Watson – meaning heâs just another checkdown CharlieâŚ
And still better than most of the leagueâs starters. Signing Rodgers boosts Pittsburghâs QB room in terms of on field play. The thing it doesnât do is solve the handful of questions about the O-line, run defense, or Pickens.
Rooneys and Maras never allow full rebuild. There was no need for Metcalf. Burn it to the ground.
ButâŚbutâŚTomlinâs never had a losing season. That seems to be enough for Rooney and national media
Might just be me but I think Tomlin and Daboll have both just about run out of rope. After years of not getting anywhere and running in place rebuilding seems inevitable whether they want to or not. The longer they wait the harder it will be.
I really believe that Rooney and Tomlin have this strange belief in the magic of the logo and that somehow, theyâll just always be in the hunt
Yeah, they have a real hole at the QB position, but they have numerous other problems or question marks that sure make them appear to be a weak sister to teams like Baltimore, KC, Buffalo etc.
Some fans place a great deal of trust in the O-line suddenly becoming better, that the guys they drafted for the D-line will magically make a big difference or that the secondary will be stronger. But itâs like playing the lottery. I can hope all I want but the best I do is get a few bucks back after the drawing that enables me to play again. Thatâs the Steelersâ mentality. They hang a great deal of their thinking on those few crumbs when the shock of watching them get manhandled over the last five games should be the fresh whiff of napalm
Theyâre stuck in the middle year after year. Even if Rodgers makes it here, itâs hard to see them being much more than that this coming season
Son, but isnât AR the greatest QB? He has a shitload of MVPâs!
Maybe Rodgers in his prime engineers 12 wins or more with this team. But a guy who is 41, compromised by an Achilles tear that limits mobility and has become a diva? With two divas as receivers?
Maybe if I click my heels together three times and close my eyes, some magic will take place
They really put themselves in a corner with all of this
This is what you don’t get. That’s what ownership wants. It’s obvious that Rooney yet again had his hands in the personnel candy jar as evidenced by him commenting publicly several times on Rodgers. Just like Roethlisberger said that Tomlin and the GM would have moved on if not for the call from Rooney his last couple of years. But some of you still don’t get how the Steelers operate. Like be a fan of a team and don’t get the dynamics.
Disrespectful to lump Tomlin in with Daboll. Tomlin actually is a good coach. He’s in a division with two of the three best QBs in the league, and his front office hasn’t given him much to work with in response to that. It’s hilarious that Steeler fans are delusional about that. If I was him, I would have left five years ago similar to how Payton got out right after Brees retired. Saint fans were similarly delusional about not winning every Super Bowl or losing early in the playoffs despite having the best team by record over a four year period. Think they wish they had him back now?
And you apparently canât read for comprehension. I never said the guy isnât a good coach. In comparison to the rest of the league, he is. But whether itâs dynamics or just the way owners grant successful coaches unlimited oversight, my point was that his choices in personnel and especially assistant coaches reveal tunnel vision, thatâs all
Youâre right, this is what Rooney wants and itâs reflected in the Rodgers soap opera
I do believe however that what Penguins GM said about coaches getting stale and players tuning out applies here. No matter, Tomlin will be a lifer in Pittsburgh if he chooses
I look at what happened with New England as being very similar. No, the Steelers havenât devolved into a 4-12 or 5-12 teamâa credit to Tomlinâbut castigating Steelers fans for wanting a bit more success is kind of pointless, isnât it? Isnât that what any fan base wants?
I read fine. I just think what you said was silly. Most of these teams aren’t the same to even get a message stale. That’s something that you heard on a TV or radio show that sounds good to you like that NFL QBs can’t read defenses if they’re not good. Every roster in the league turns over at least a third if not half of their spots every year. So why was Pickens a knucklehead at Georgia? What about in high school? Same Steeler fans were saying the same dumb stuff ten years ago about Antonio Brown who has thoroughly been proven to be crazy as squirrel s*** in the ten years since. Tomlin has his flaws, namely having his team play down to inferior competition at times, but he’s been far from the problem there the last ten years. he’s been operating with below par QB play since the year Roethlisberger tore his elbow. Until you address that, and Kenny Pickett was a horrible way to address it, Steeler fans need to stop being delusional about your station in the league.
First off, nope. I know about the message being lost from personal experience. But hey, nice try
Secondly, âstation in the league?â You are yet another guy with a knee jerk reaction about Steelers fans? Whatâs next, youâre going to tell us we feel âentitled?â
The Steelers era ended when the retirements began. Hines. Troy. Harrison. Ben. Others. And truthfully, there was a long lull in between the real Steelers glory days until that time. Maybe when Bubby was QB, or Mark Malone, your critique would be relevant. Now, itâs made of the delusions you mistakenly refer to
Thereâs no one locally who thinks the franchise is still THE nameplate of the NFL. That ship has sailed. Thereâs no one who believes theyâre a player away from ascending into the conversation of âeliteâ
Whatâs entirely silly is your continued rant about Steelers fans and your defense of a coach who continually has the team in the mushy middle year in and year out. In your way of thinking, the idea is that Steelers fans should just be happy there because it could be worse.
That apparently also applies to the idea of replacing a coach.
Maybe you should tune out national media for a while and watch some games. Those last five games, where they got manhandled and overrun by big time teams should have spoken volumes. Hearing national commentators make remarks about the team âgiving upâ and â playing like they donât want to be hereâ should resonate.
Gee, you must have missed all that
My dad was a Steeler fan. So I’m well aware of how you guys think you should win Super Bowls with less than par rosters. You’re in the same division as two of the top three QBs in the league and are complaining that you made the playoffs the last couple of years with no playoff wins, lol. But yeah, you’re not delusional.
So your dad being a Steelers fan gives you insight into how fans here think. Solid rationale. And somehow you put fans wanting a better roster and better team equating with the idea of an expectation of a championship. This style of argument is hilarious.
No one on this thread intimated anything you have put forward here. Maybe itâs the voices in your head? Another situation which is like arguing with a child
Yeah, he should be criticized for keeping this garbage roster winning.
Huh? Smh
The Giants have been rebuilding for years now. It just hasn’t gone well.
âPittsburgh was said to be both taking and receiving calls on the Georgia productâ
In my mind taking and receiving calls mean the same thing. Should it be making and receiving?
Either way, not being a grammar nazi as much as making sure Iâm not losing too many brain cells to adult beverages.
Yep, should have been “making.” Thank you.
I agree..thought same thing..had to google difference. Quiet slow morning here..lol. Taking means.getting calls not expected, random…receiving is getting calls back. Expected.
Back to smoking ribs for mothers day here.
You guys are reminding me of the most passive aggressive city slogan in America: “Trenton Makes, the World Takes.”
Upvoted for smoking ribs. Coal? Propane? Electric (boogie woogie woogie)?
Why wait? Send Pickens to cowboys and try to get some picks maybe even Joe Milton lol
I was kind of surprised this very trade didnât happen during the draft. Maybe they talked and the offer wasnât more than a 5th round pick or later. I just donât think teams are eager to grab Pickens given the things theyâve seen during his time here
He can be coached and mentored. Heâs not PERMANENT damaged goods imo. He needs a environment change
He’s also not as talented as people talk him up as. He makes some acrobatic catches, but he also is not a complete receiver similar to what he was at Georgia. Imagine depending on this head case to be your dependable 80/90 catch 1,300 yard workhorse receiver that gets it when you have to have it.
Youâre not telling the entire story here. In most offenses, there are reliable options beyond your number one receiver. Last season, that wasnât the case. Iâd submit that Diontae Johnson would have been earlier had it not been for ridiculously poor play at QB
The kid IS very talented. Shame he canât get out of his own way
Why would you trade for DK and the immediately downgrade your receivers corp?
Imagine what a malcontent pain in the a$$ you’d have to be for your team to want to get rid of you? Even if you have real talent?
Seems like they hate having Pickens in the building but couldn’t trade him when he was far and away their number one receiver. It’s easier to be done with Pickens when you know where those targets are going.
Because they are a pretender. Championship team’s like the Birds pay both Brown and Smith. Nothing more to debate.
Iâm a proponent of serious investing in two receivers, but Pickens is less of a player and more of a headache than both those guys.
Oooof do you believe the Steelers would pay two top ten receivers top dollar, I don’t.
Maybe not, but I donât think they have one top ten receiver and I think Pickens is a long way from that conversation, especially with his makeup issues.
Oof is right, I think. Neither Smith nor Brown have had similar issues. Now, the Eagles havenât been through as strenuous a stretch as Pittsburgh has (despite the overall winning record), so we havenât seen that scenario play out, but the immaturity does have an effect on the team. Pickens hasnât demonstrated the same reliability in game as Smith or Brown (which obviously is in part a factor of the overall problems with the Steelersâ passing game-but hey, itâs not like Hurts is a high volume passer as is), which doubtlessly contributes.
And this from the team chasing Aaron Rodgers đ¤Ł
And this, from a fan of the Cleveland Browns. And their âQB roomâđ¤Ť
Traci don’t be a hero…but i bet you know where you can stick that hero sub
What a damned mess. No clear picture at QB and now another disgruntled WR, who is going to be one âIâm open and nobody is throwing to me!â from pulling an AB and walking out on the team during a game.
In a contract year he has LOTS of millions of reasons to behave
Trading for Dk makes less sense all the time
From what I understand. Rudolph and Pickens had pretty good chemistry. Iâm not sure I believe in paying WRs. Every year there seems to be adequate ones in the draft. Give me a sum of the parts is greater than whole squad of WR. Draft one every year.
Rudolph is being paid $4M. Thats 3rd string money
So what, really?
If the players believe in him, what does it matter? Although, I do believe this chemistry was enhanced because Pickett and Trubisky were awful
It’s pretty simple…if they can get a pick that is 15-20 or so spots better than the comp pick will be then they need to trade him.
If not, keep him and take the comp pick.
Only move him now if you get a young WR whose future costs will be lower while still being a solid WR2 and a pick…which seem unlikely.
Exactly. You have the potential for an incredible tandem. (And the potential for internal combustion). Might as well see if Tomlin, or Cam, or Minkah or whoever can finally get through to him.
Pathetic excuse for a National football League Organization.
The Steelers problems all fall on one guy… Tomlin.
From his arrogance,to his drafting of malcontents like Pickens,to the Aaron Rodgers crap. Time for lil Artie to grow some balls and assume the legacy of his father and grandfather.
And CUT TIES with Tomlin
đ
The ONLY thing Yinzers know…is that they are angry.
“Time for lil Artie to grow some balls and assume the legacy of his father and grandfather.”
The Rooney legacy is hiring coaches and then never firing them.
“And CUT TIES with Tomlin”
OK, so the exact opposite, then?
Sounds like Cosmo expects Tomlin to conduct an emotional assessment and psychiatric eval on every potential Steelers draft pick prior to draft day.
No I don’t expect that. But YINZER AL, takes it as though tomlin knew nothing about Pickens being a cancer. Everyone else knew this information. He was drafted in the second round. Don’t ya think he might have been selected as low as sanders. Another one who everyone else knew was trouble. Yep us yinzers sure are angry.
After all tomlin is pushing for another cancer. PRIMA DONNA RODGERS.
I wasnât one to believe Tomlin won a Super Bowl with Cowherâs guys. Or Colbertâs draft expertise. In fact, I resisted that argument. But the facts are kind of clear, arenât they?
Iâll set aside a guy like Troy. Or even Big Ben
Generational talents
But please, name some guys who compare favorably with every position.
AB and Hines at receiver
Bettis in the backfield
Decastro, Pouncey on O-line
Heath at end
Clark and Ike in the secondary
Harrison, Farrior at LB
(Yeah, Iâll grant you Watt)
The list is endless
Then letâs go to assistant coaches
Point is, you have a stubborn guy as not only coach but THE voice and face of the franchise.
If you donât think he has THE say in free agent signings and draft picks, youâre naive
I *dont* advocate firing Tomlin. I simply believe Rooney should be more assertive in demanding he has embraces new ideas
Bo they didn’t fire noll or cohwer. But they wanted noll to make staff changes. So the emperor retired. Cohwer wanted a newer contract. Then he decided to retire to spend more time with his family. Since his wife was ill. And unfortunately passed.
So no they don’t fire, but art Sr and Dan were owners who knew when to take charge. Unlike lil artie.
So “yinzer” this is 2025 not 1992 or 2007.
Tomlin has TOO much power. Dan Rooney would not of let that happen
Let me ask you this: was the Pens âparting of waysâ with Sullivan the right move in your book? You heard Dubasâs comment about sometimes coaches or teachers needing a new team or class.
Because if so, youâre shooting yourself in the foot with this continued rant
Itâs not that Tomlin isnât a good coach but rather, a change of scenery would likely do both him and the franchise a lot of good
But hey, keep holding onto that tired ânever had a losing seasonâ shtick.
Ah, the Madden argument almost verbatim…thanks for the chance to respond to that.
He says it’s the same? Is it? The Pens and Sullivan parted because the Pens want to lose.
Do you want the Steelers to lose?
If so, yeah, fire Tomlin. He wins 2 to 3 more games a year than the roster warrants. Sullivan, while great, was either under performing or performing to the level the roster warrants in recent years.
And the message has gone stale argument sounds good until you think about it for 7 seconds. NFL players churn so fast they are in and out of the locker room so fast the message can’t get stale, except for the handful of long term vets who have been here and they are the ones who are the most bought in to said message.
In the same article, Madden declares that Tomlin…a guy who has never lost in the top league in the world (18 for 18)…has NEVER been a good coach. Just got lucky 18 years in a row, evidently.
So, if you want the Steelers to tank and are tired of him winning no matter how lousy the roster, then sure, fire him.
If you think firing him will turn a scrub roster into a contender, are you OK with potentially hiring the football Shelton and Steeler Cherington? Because just deciding the status quo isn’t good enough doesn’t help if you don’t have a plan to do better.
Your thoughts have a great deal of merit here and I understand completely. For the record, I can say the same about Madden
I hedge the bet where terminating coaches is concerned. I think most coaches or managers are average and that essentially, players play the games are determine outcomes no matter the guy in chargeâs maneuvers. There are some exemplary coaches in each sport. There are likely double the coaches who are out of their element
My problem with the Steelers is Rooney giving too much say to Tomlin, nothing more. Iâm not advocating he be fired per se but rather, re-directed. And I mean that in terms of taking on assistants who are on the cutting edge and not necessarily yes men. And allowing the GM and his assistant to have the ultimate say in personnel
You make mention of the Penguins âwanting to loseâ which is bollocks. Theyâve amassed a ton of draft picks. They have Sid, whoâs still a top 5 talent. No, they wanted a coach that optimized the abilities of young players, not the antiquated style used to win cups and with guys who just arenât that fast anymore. Sullivan wasnât the guy for that role.
Itâs funny you didnât mention Leyland. He left under similar circumstances as Sullivan. Instead of sticking around for a rebuild, he left for greener pastures. Itâs funny how âyinzersâ forget this
I do agree with the Pens burning it down and the idea the Pirates should burn it all down again. And in a similar way, Iâd rather the Steelers burn it down than constantly being in this Groundhogs Day of 9 wins that impresses both you and national media. Yeah, hiring a new coach carries risks. But merely being mediocre year after yearâand letâs face it, this is what they areâshouldnât garner any special security from ownership
The Eagles got rid of two coaches after pretty successful runs. While I donât push for firing anyone let alone Tomlin, his seat should be warm in a performance-based league
If Sully is no good, why was immediately hired and made the highest paid coach in the league?
Also, did Sully “not want to (stick) around for a rebuild” or is it “bollocks” about “the Penguins wanting to lose”?
Wanting to move on from Tomlin because he wins too much to do a needed rebuild is a reasonable position.
Wanting to move on from Tomlin because you think he’s the only thing holding back this amazing Steeler roster is dopey.
Too many think it’s the latter.
Who said Sully was no good?
Are you just trying to deflect?
Tomlin âwins too much?âââŚ.because you think heâs the only thing holding back this amazing Steelers rosterâŚ?â
Debating with you is like debating a child.
None of what you said here in rebuttal is reflective of things Iâve said
The Steelers roster is nowhere near amazing. Yes, thatâs on Tomlin
Tomlin doesnât âwin too muchâ. The last I looked, he was a winner 60% or so of the time.
Sorry. That doesnât qualify as âtoo muchâ
Sullivan is a good coach. Funny you didnât discuss Dubasâs comments about coaching changes. They resonate here and could be applied to Tomlin. The Penguins arenât tanking but instead, rebuilding with a youth movement.
But you know all of this. You just wish to be a contrarian. Enough of you already
No, I just wish to be factually accurate in reality.
Yinzers hate that. I know.
You are free to parrot Madden’s brain nuggets without understanding the words.
Enjoy.
So you seem so happy with 9-7, 10-8, and getting crushed in the first round of the playoffs. The contented yinzer.
You must also be absolutely happy with paying the IGGLE 5.99 for a dozen of eggs.
“Wanting to move on from Tomlin because he wins too much to do a needed rebuild is a reasonable position. ”
I’d be perfectly happy to see them go 3-14 for several years.
“Wanting to move on from Tomlin because you think heâs the only thing holding back this amazing Steeler roster is dopey.”
Guessing you not so much.
Pickens is a cancer) he is the disrupter,if you donât throw me the ball Iâm going to take my ball and go home. Go to the Canadian league thatâs where u belong.you are BUMMMM. YOU herd it here STEELERS GOING TO BE UNDER 500 TAKE IT TO THE BANK
Goodbye George. Enjoy Dallas
Told you. Reports are the Cowboys are trading for him today. Have no idea how that’s supposed to work with the notoriously cheap Jerry Jones who already has an alpha receiver, the highest paid QB, and soon to be highest paid DE in football. I’m sure Pickens won’t act out in that locker room, but the same people who have been criticizing Tomlin for coaxing peak production out of this malcontent won’t say a peep as we watch this oncoming train wreck.
I am dissappointed. Not that Pickens is going to be traded, but that this site is lagging way behind ESPN and CBSSports on reporting the news.