Latest Steelers trade rumblings are a huge insult to George Pickens
By Mark Powell
It's been a tough couple of months for Steelers wide receiver George Pickens. The second-year wideout out of Georgia has a ton of talent, but lets his frustration get the best of him when he doesn't receive the football on a regular basis. Sound familiar?
Mike Tomlin spoke to Pickens prior to the Colts game, using his experience as a defensive backs coach to showcase why Pickens is taken out of the contest for long stretches -- it's common for defensive coordinators to make an offense one-dimensional, or target a team's best player. That's occurred with Pickens several times this season, and he hasn't taken it well. Tomlin called it a problem just last week.
"When you have a dynamic player, oftentimes from a game playing perspective, you'll pick a block of time or block of plays where you're just going to deny that guy the ball and make others beat you. And the agenda is to keep the ball out of the hands of a significant player, but also if it's a significant player it's to create angst within him and within that unit," Tomlin said.
Still, Pickens lack of effort and support for his teammates was evident on Saturday. He refused to run block for Jaylen Warren, and wouldn't chase a Colts defensive back after an interception.
Why a George Pickens trade is unlikely for Steelers
With Pickens frustration reaching a boiling point, is there any chance the Steelers could consider dealing him this offseason? As valuable as Pickens is (and he's in just the second season of his rookie deal), apparently he's more than most contending teams want to deal with.
NFL reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala responded to a Steelers Depot article about Pickens, making it clear a trade for the wideout would be complicated:
You are assuming there is a buyer here. The year he came out, I had multiple convos w/ multiple GMs who said he was the most talented WR that year - and yet, not on their board. Those same GMs said if any coach would reach him, it was Mike Tomlin.
— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) December 18, 2023
Here we are.
Pickens is a problem for the Steelers, but he'd be a problem in many locker rooms across the league. Why would any front office welcome that opportunity with open arms?
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