Steelers Great Ben Roethlisberger Addressed The George Pickens Contract Situation: "Not High On My Priority List"

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a big decision to make regarding star wide receiver George Pickens. Since drafting him in the second round in 2022, he has proven to be a handful. His talent is undeniable; he makes catches that are hard to believe and could easily be considered one of the top receivers in the league. However, his behaviors have created major stumbling blocks for him. His hot temper and apparent unwillingness to work hard could cost him his spot with the black and gold. 

Former Steelers quarterback and future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger was asked about Pickens on his podcast, Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger. Pickens is entering his fourth season with the team and will be eligible for an extension on his contract. Roethlisberger believes that the team needs to decide whether they want to keep him or not. If they're going to keep him, they need to sign him right away; if they don't, they should trade him while they can still get something for him. 

"You either sign him to a long-term deal, which would not be high on my priority list," admitted Roethlisberger. "You either sign him to a long-term deal and give him a bunch of money, you let him play this year, you franchise him, and then he's gone, so you have two years with him. Or you trade for him because right now is the only time you can really have a trade that he's worth anything because next year, he's on the last year anyway. The issue with trading him is you don't have a number two right now, so if you get rid of your number one now, you don't have a one or a two. That means you're going to have to get a receiver in the draft; you're going to have to go sign a veteran receiver. Maybe that's the move; there are some decent veteran guys that are a little bit older that could bring some leadership to the locker room, and then go draft a stud number one at the 22nd pick because you have to invest in the offense a little more."

The Steelers traded away Diontae Johnson before the 2024 season, and many felt it would encourage Pickens to step up and become a leader on the team. However, without the distraction of Johnson, the entire spotlight was on Pickens. He fought with opponents multiple times over the season and even challenged some fans. Pickens took criticism for failing to give maximum effort or block for his teammates. He had to be restrained by fellow Steelers and supposedly showed up late for games. 

They reportedly went after multiple top receivers, including Davante Adams and Brandon Aiyuk, but could not close the deal. This meant that the burden and the attention fell almost completely on Pickens. He was often seen displaying visible frustration over his lack of targets and the state of the offense in general. 

Could The Steelers Land Davante Adams? 

The Steelers failed to secure Adams before the season because he wanted to play with his former quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, with the New York Jets. However, now that Adams' future in New York is uncertain, the rumor mills have started back up. 

Adams recently spoke with Kay Adams on the Up and Adams Show and was asked if he would consider playing for Head Coach Mike Tomlin. He told her he absolutely would. Adams said that he loves Tomlin and has a ton of respect for him, and it has been mutual. They always chat when they see each other at games. He believes that Pittsburgh builds a unique culture and added that anytime you can have a coach who is a player's coach is a great thing. He said that those kinds of coaches always win him over. 

Do you think the Steelers should prioritize extending Pickens or not? Click to comment below. 

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