The Pittsburgh Steelers ended up having quite a few flaws on their 2024 roster, and none may have been bigger than the lack of depth at wide receiver. Once they got below George Pickens on the depth chart there was not anybody capable of making an impact in the passing game, and that started to get exposed as the season went on and the competition became tougher.
There is another layer to that problem.
For as talented as Pickens is, and for as many highlight reel plays as he is capable of making, they had an extremely difficult time getting consistency from him, while he also proved to be a bit of a headache both on and off the field. All of that has led to speculation that he could be on the trade market this offseason.
That is not going to be an easy trade for the Steelers to win, and their history with trading wide receivers indicates the value for Pickens may not be particularly high.
There are a couple of issues that a hypothetical Pickens trade will present for the Steelers.
The first of which is that he is entering the final year of his contract, and any team acquiring him will only be guaranteed to have him for one year unless they sign him to a lucrative contract extension. One year of an inconsistent player that has not yet reached their full potential is not exactly something that is going to set the trade market on fire.
The Steelers faced a similar situation this past offseason with Diontae Johnson. When they eventually moved him to the Carolina Panthers, they received cornerback Donte Jackson (who was close to becoming a salary cap cut in Carolina) and a sixth-round pick.
Two years ago they traded Chase Claypool to Chicago, and while they were able to get a very high second-round pick in return, Claypool had the advantage of having a season-and-a-half remaining on his deal.
Going back further, they received a third-round pick for Martavis Bryant (who also had more time remaining on his contract), a third- and fifth-round pick for Antonio Brown (the best wide receiver in the NFL at the time) and a sixth-round pick for Santonio Holmes (a former Super Bowl MVP).
It’s just really hard to extract trade value out of a wide receiver unless it is one of the absolute best players at the position. Pickens is not that. It gets even tougher when the contract situation is not ideal.
But that’s not the only problem the Steelers will be facing.
If they do decide to trade Pickens, they are looking at a potential complete overhaul of their wide receiver room. Even with him on the roster they need to aggressively be in the market for a No. 2 receiver to help complement him, whether it be in the draft, free agency or a separate trade. If they move Pickens, they not only need a No. 2, but they also need a new No. 1 pass-catcher. That is a lot to ask for in one offseason when your team already has several other needs (quarterback, running back, defensive line, secondary).
There is a good argument to be made that Pickens has worn out his welcome in Pittsburgh. The penalties, lack of discipline and reports of him being late for meetings and games are setting the stage for a potential move this offseason. But it is not going to be easy for the Steelers to win that move, and it is only going to create another issue for a team that already has plenty to try and fix.
