The Pittsburgh Steelers dealt WR George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys final week, and Pickens’ angle appeared to have performed an element within the choice. Former NFL WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh stated on the Up On Recreation podcast that he is aware of gamers on the Steelers, and he was instructed Pickens was usually late to the group bus or group airplane.
“George Pickens had stepped over and crossed the road a bit too many occasions and I do know those who play with the Steelers. He’d be late for the group airplane that might be flying out to away video games a number of occasions. He’d be late to get on the group bus they usually had sufficient of it.
“They didn’t need to pay him 30-plus million {dollars} and these antics are most likely simply going to worsen since you’re not even making wherever close to that. You’re doing all this now? What you gonna do if you get the cash? And they also stated, ‘ what, we’re gonna eliminate [him]. Dallas, he’s your drawback,’ however he’s gonna be a very good drawback.”
Pickens was additionally reportedly late for the group’s Week 17 recreation towards the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, and it sounds prefer it’s removed from the primary time that Pickens’ tardiness was a problem. Whereas he’s a productive receiver, going over 1,000 yards in 2023 and almost reaching that mark once more in 2024 regardless of lacking three video games, Pickens grew to become an excessive amount of of a headache for the Steelers to need to cope with long-term. With him getting into the final 12 months of his rookie deal, the group will get assured worth in return for him.
Whereas the commerce makes the Steelers worse on paper, group insider Ray Fittipaldo known as it “addition by subtraction.” If Pickens’ tardiness and angle actually have been a problem that gamers have been sick of, his departure could possibly be helpful for the locker room. Nonetheless, it didn’t appear as if gamers had a lot of a problem with Pickens, however his on-field outbursts and obvious power tardiness are comprehensible causes for the group to maneuver on from the previous second-round choose.
It was attention-grabbing timing with the commerce coming after the 2025 NFL Draft, however the Steelers like what they’ve behind George Pickens at receiver and count on their room to nonetheless be higher than final 12 months with DK Metcalf now within the fold, taking up the No. 1 receiver function Pickens had final 12 months. Whereas the commerce could make the Steelers’ receiving corps worse off, it additionally eliminates a distraction, which could possibly be a constructive for the collective.
