Former NFL GM drops clear verdict on George Pickens’ future as Steelers eye Texas WR
The Pittsburgh Steelers pulled off one of the most stunning moves of the offseason when they traded a second-round draft pick to acquire Seattle Seahawks star DK Metcalf and handed him a five-year, $150 million contract extension. The move seemingly signaled the franchise's desire to be a marquee landing spot for the best free-agent quarterbacks.
Having a trio of Metcalf, wide receiver George Pickens, and tight end Pat Friermuth is an exciting prospect for any signal-caller looking for a new home. However, that surprisingly did not entice any quarterback to move to Pittsburgh. The Steelers not signing a starter to play under center prompted speculation that they'd spend their first-round pick to land one.
However, the team hosted former Texas Longhorns star Matthew Golden for a pre-draft visit, suggesting they were prioritizing drafting a wideout, which left many perplexed, considering they already have two top-tier wide receivers. However, a former NFL general manager told Steelers insider Andrew Fillipponi why Pittsburgh was looking to add more offensive firepower. He reported:
"The Steelers are open for business on George Pickens. That's why they brought in [Golden] for a visit."
The Steelers are seemingly preparing to trade Pickens, who has only one year left on his rookie deal with the franchise. The wide receiver presumably wouldn't mind a trade. He posted a cryptic picture with Tom Brady on his Instagram stories, which fans believe was him hinting he wanted to join the Las Vegas Raiders, where the seven-time Super Bowl winner is a minority owner.
George Pickens trade: Mike Tomlin's admission about QB plans suggests potential move for WR
The biggest issue the Steelers needed to address this offseason was the quarterback position, but they have shown little urgency to find a new signal-caller. The consensus was that their lack of urgency suggested they would pick one in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft to solve the problem.
However, when asked about the quarterback position, head coach Mike Tomlin claimed the franchise is open to fielding Mason Rudolph, who spent the 2024 season with the Tennessee Titans before signing a two-year, $8 million deal to return to Pittsburgh, could be the starter. He said during the NFL's Annual League Meeting in Palm Beach:
"That's why we brought [Mason Rudolph] back. I'm comfortable with that. We've been there before. He's a very capable guy."
Tomlin's comments don't mean that the Steelers wouldn't bring in another quarterback, especially Aaron Rodgers, or draft a signal-caller on Day 2 or 3. However, they suggest that they are leaning towards picking a wide receiver in the first round, and rumors of a potential George Pickens trade could be true.