Steelers' "Fleecing" Of Chase Claypool Proves 1 Captivating Thing About Mike Tomlin And George Pickens' Future

It's not a secret that the Pittsburgh Steelers have had their fair share of head cases and cancers in their locker room throughout the Mike Tomlin era. Tomlin has been given his flowers when it comes to keeping guys like Antonio Brown, Chase Claypool, and Diontae Johnson under control during their time in Pittsburgh, but once he understood that it was time to part ways, people saw pretty quickly why. Tomlin will get the best out of his players in due time and other organizations respect that. When a player becomes too much for Tomlin, then their time in the NFL starts to dwindle.

CBS reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala was the latest person to give their flowers to Tomlin. She shared a story with her followers on X about an unnamed executive she spoke with about the Steelers' head coach. If Tomlin gives up on a player, teams should wise up and not bring them into their locker room, just like Claypool. The most recent example of a failed Tomlin guy is Johnson, who spent a lot of time on the wavier wire this past season.

"There is no coach in the NFL with more patience while waiting for a player to turn the corner than Mike Tomlin," said Kinkhabwala. "If Mike Tomlin gives up on a player, only someone delusional would take a chance on that player. Talked to an exec today who said after the Chase Claypool fleecing, he thinks everyone gets that." 

With all of that being said, it brings up the question of George Pickens' future. Pickens hasn't helped his case with Steelers fans with his on and off field antics. While the talent is there, many are worried he is becoming a similar story as Johnson and Claypool. However, Kinkhabwala says as of right now, Tomlin isn't giving up on the young receiver.

"There is NOT a George Pickens trade windfall," said Kinkhabwala.

Obviously, things can change quickly in the NFL. Now that General Manager Omar Khan has finally landed his big name wide receiver in DK Metcalf, if Pickens' antics continue to be an issue, it wouldn't be to anyone's surprise that he is no longer in Pittsburgh. Tomlin knows what kind of receiver he has with number 14 and believes that he can have a successful career with the Steelers if he cleans up his act.

This offseason, there has been much speculation that Pickens is on the trade market. With great talent in the 2025 NFL Draft and the Steelers actively trying to add talent to the receivers room, many believe that the team will move on from Pickens. While Metcalf's arrival feeds the flames of these rumors, it seems the team is giving Pickens at least the 2025 season to show some improvement through the mental aspect of his game.

If history truly repeats itself, Pickens must make strides to earn his stay with Pittsburgh or he could end up like Johnson and Claypool. There will be teams that would take a chance on him, but they may not have the same patience as Tomlin, just ask Johnson.

Steelers' Pickens Given One Last Year To Prove His Worth And Growth

It seems that the trade rumors about Pickens don't have much weight to them. The Steelers will try the Metcalf-Pickens duo for at least a year before making their final decision. They have their answer to their number one option at receiver if they were to move on from Pickens. The Cleveland Browns scuffle and Pickens' other on-field shenanigans must stop this upcoming season or he could get the treatment of the recent Steelers receivers to hit the road. 

The Steelers would love to keep Pickens long-term and have that dynamic duo for multiple years, but it comes down to Pickens' mentality in 2025.

Can Pickens clean up his act? Does Metcalf add more pressure to Pickens to show growth this upcoming season? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

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