The Pittsburgh Steelers had been by no means going to offer large receiver George Pickens a brand new contract earlier than the 2025 season, his last yr underneath contract.
Not after paying new star receiver DK Metcalf $150 million in a contract extension after buying and selling for him.
The Steelers buying and selling Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys Wednesday morning, although, went past his contract state of affairs. It was about his antics, behavioral points and among the frustration he prompted within the locker room, NFL Community Insider Tom Pelissero acknowledged.
On The Wealthy Eisen Present Friday afternoon, Pelissero acknowledged that there have been a “number of totally different points” that finally pushed the Steelers to maneuver on from Pickens after simply three seasons collectively, getting a 2026 third-round choose and a 2027 fifth-round choose in return for Pickens and a 2027 sixth-round choose.
“This was not only a snap resolution. This was not he overreacted to them paying and buying and selling for DK Metcalf. It was every little thing over the previous a number of years,” Pelissero stated, in keeping with video by way of the present’s X account. “Once more, unbelievably proficient soccer participant, however there have been quite a lot of totally different points. There was tardiness to conferences, there was a few video games the place he confirmed up late to the locker room.
“You recognize, you all the time need guys there earlier than you flip in your inactives 90 minutes earlier than the sport. There have been a number of events George Pickens wasn’t within the locker room but.”
Pickens, who missed three video games because of a hamstring harm in the course of the 2024 season, made his return to the lineup on Christmas Day towards the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs. Unbeknownst on the time, Pickens confirmed up late to the sport, in keeping with a report in January from The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo.
Then Pickens went out and had some frustration on the sphere because the offense struggled. After the Steelers’ 29-10 loss, Pickens went as much as Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce and dapped them up throughout a TV interview, producing extra detrimental consideration.
Pelissero reveals right here that Pickens displaying up late to video games occurred a number of occasions, which is eye-opening. He reportedly would present up late to follow, too, however follow and video games are a bit totally different, and Pickens was clearly allowed to get away with it at occasions — proper up till the Steelers had sufficient and shipped him out of city.
It wasn’t simply the displaying up late, both. It was the complications he prompted on the sphere with private foul penalties, meltdowns on the sideline, arguing with followers, missing effort on some performs, and extra.
“Clearly the non-public fouls, that stuff that everyone noticed on the sphere, there have been at occasions missed assignments, which is likely to be associated to him being late to conferences. And it simply form of sucked among the vitality out of the locker room when you may have anyone who on a weekly foundation, you simply don’t know what kind of issues they is likely to be concerned with past making unbelievable catches,” Pelissero added relating to Pickens. “And it was the identical stuff, like I stated, popping out of Georgia the place there was simply, there was loads of concern concerning the stage to which you’re gonna have to carry George Pickens’ hand, not as a soccer participant. He’s gonna exit and make catches. But it surely was about simply doing all these different issues proper.
“And, you understand, there have been occasions that he had clashes with numerous quarterbacks. He was definitely anyone who wished Russell Wilson to be enjoying, not Justin Fields final yr. There’s lots there.”
None of this ought to be a shock. This was the priority about Pickens popping out of Georgia, and the largest cause why he fell to No. 52 total within the 2022 NFL Draft, regardless of being a top-20 expertise.
Granted, he’s nonetheless younger and rising and maturing, one thing he talked about Thursday throughout his introductory press convention with the Cowboys. However over three years, the identical errors and complications began to weigh on the Steelers, and it was time to maneuver on.
The timing of transferring on was stunning, however the Steelers made the suitable name in the long run. Now, we’ll see if the wake-up name of being traded is answered by Pickens transferring ahead.
