Steelers Should Take A Flyer On Hypothetical George Pickens Trade: "The World Opens Up"

The Pittsburgh Steelers must decide the future of wide receiver George Pickens' time with the franchise. There is no denying Pickens' incredible talent; he is a difference-maker on the field. However, he has shown to be a problem in various ways, making him a polarizing figure in the Steel City. This has led to debates on whether they should trade him before the 2025 season begins. 

There has been no official word that the franchise is actively seeking a trade for Pickens, but since he will be entering his fourth season in the black and gold, the team has to make a decision one way or the other. They can either extend him, let his last season play out until he hits free agency in 2026, or try and trade him to at least get something out of losing him. 

The 33rd Team tweeted a hypothetical trade scenario where Pickens goes to the Washington Commanders for a second-round pick. The Commanders are still alive in the playoffs, so their draft picks are subject to change, but currently, that would be 61st overall. Former NFL General Manager Doug Whaley was asked by the hosts of The Fan Morning Show on 93.7 The Fan if he would take that deal. 

"Yes, sir," exclaimed Whaley. "No doubt about it. Pretty good value that can be used in multiple ways - packaging to go up or packaging to go down."

Show co-host Dorin Dickerson said that with our luck, Pickens would go to Washington and be incredibly successful. While most people think the Steelers get the best out of their receivers and cut them loose when they get out of hand, some have played better after leaving Pittsburgh, like Emmanuel Sanders.  

Washington Head Coach Dan Quinn has turned the team around. While the Steelers defeated them in Week 10 28-27, their rookie quarterback, Jayden Daniels, has been on fire. Dickerson believes Pickens can excel under Offensive Coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. He added that it's where he'd want to go if he were Pickens. Whaley said that should not influence Pittsburgh's thought process. 

"When you think about trades, you can't think, 'Oh, this guy's going to go out and blow up,'" explained Whaley. "Now they have to execute on their end with that second pick, but in the end, you can't be like, 'Well, we can't lose him because he might go out and blow it up.' Well, guess what? He's blowing up your locker room right now. Think about it that way. The world opens up."

Instead, the Steelers need to think about what is best for their roster, and Whaley says trading Pickens removes a player who has been toxic in their locker room and gives them more draft options. Pittsburgh has a lot of needs they need to address; wide receiver is just one of them. They also need to bolster their defensive line, and having two second-round picks would make a big difference. 

The Steelers knew Pickens would be a handful; he was in college, but they gambled on him maturing. However, his behavior has been erratic. He has fought with opponents, taunted fans, and shown a lack of effort in plays where he isn't targeted. While they desperately need receivers, Pickens might be more valuable in a trade. 

Steelers Have To Proceed With Caution

While Whaley might believe trading Pickens is the best thing the team could do, others think the Steelers need to avoid shooting themselves in the foot. The 2025 NFL Draft is not considered a strong one for receivers. 

Regardless of what they do with Pickens, they need at least one other strong receiver. They suffered through 2024 without a solid number two, and it showed. Defenses minimized Pickens' impact, knowing it would cause him to spiral, and it worked. The offense couldn't move the ball down the field and score consistently. 

Would you take that trade offer if the Commanders made it? Tell us what you think below! 

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