In 2022, the Pittsburgh Steelers used a second-round pick on Georgia wide receiver George Pickens. In three seasons, there has been the spectacular, as well as the ridiculous. His ability to make just about any catch is unquestioned. Meanwhile, his decision-making and emotional outbursts have been highly questioned.
“He’s just got to grow up, man,” said Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin following the team’s 44-38 win at Cincinnati in Week 13 this past season. “This is an emotional game, man. These divisional games are big. He’s got a target on his back because he’s George, he understands that. But he’s got to grow up. He’s got to grow up in a hurry.”
In that victory over the Bengals, ESPN’s Brooke Pryor points out that the three-year pro was hit with a pair of unsportsmanlike penalties.
“There’s certainly obviously more room for growth there,” said Tomlin a month later. “I think he covered some ground in 2024, but there’s certainly a heck of a lot more ground to be covered, and we’ll see where it leaves us.”
If a Pittsburgh Steelers wideout makes too much noise these days, out come the comparisons to Antonio Brown and Diontae Johnson. It’s certainly understandable. Both of those performers eventually wore out their welcome in the Steel City for totally different reasons, and the organization was able to get something in return for both players via trades.
Steelers sound focused on George Pickens contract rather than trade
As for Pickens, who can become an unrestricted free agent following the 2025 season, Omar Khan had this to say on Tuesday.
“I can tell you that he has a desire to be great,” explained the Steelers’ general manager. “He has a desire to be great here. We have a desire for him to be great and to be great here with respect to the contract. But you know, we won’t discuss that publicly, and usually those things are addressed at a later date.”
All told, 2025 shapes up as a big year for a performer who led the Steelers with 900 receiving yards in 2024 despite missing three games in December.