Steelers Hint at George Pickens Deal

As the Pittsburgh Steelers run through any number of potential upgrades to their wide receiver room this offseason, they also understand what the most important piece of the puzzle is.

Speaking with reporters at the NFL Combine on Tuesday, general manager Omar Khan expressed that the team and George Pickens have a mutual desire for him to remain in the black and gold for the foreseeable future as he enters the final year of his rookie contract.

"I had a really solid exit meeting with GP," Khan said. "I can tell you he has a desire to be great, and to be great here. We have a desire for him to be great, and to be great here. With respect to the contract, we won't discuss that publicly, and usually those things are addressed at a later date."

The soon-to-be 24-year-old's tenure with the Steelers hasn't always been smooth to say the least, but it's hard to ignore his already-impressive on-field resume.

After posting 801 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie in 2022, the former second-round pick logged 1,140 yards and five scores on 63 receptions the following year despite playing in an offense that averaged the eighth-fewest passing yards per game with 186.1.

Pickens likely would've come close to matching those 2023 totals this past season had he not went down with a hamstring injury that led to a three-contest absence between Weeks 14 and 16. Instead, he finished with 59 catches for 900 yards and three touchdowns.

Pittsburgh will be hard-pressed to find another receiver with as much as upside as Pickens in the coming months, including through the NFL Draft, though his behavior is an important consideration when mulling over whether or not to extend him.

From racking up fines on a consistent basis to getting into a fight with Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II and showing up late to the Steelers' Week 17 game against the Kansas City Chiefs, there are some red flags that can't be ignored and make handing Pickens a boatload of guaranteed money a significant risk.

At the same time though, no one knows him better than the Steelers. If they're comfortable with how he conducts himself and see potential for growth in that area, then truthfully there should be few reservations about signing him long-term.

While the possibility of a trade can't be discounted, doing so could put the team behind the eight ball and leave them scrambling to try and find Pickens' replacement.

Like Khan alluded to, contract talks probably won't heat up for a while. A holdout is always possible if the sides can't agree to terms, but Pittsburgh should do everything in its power to avoid that outcome if they value Pickens.

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