Speculation about wide receiver George Pickens’ future with the Pittsburgh Steelers has been swirling for months. Will he get traded? Are the Steelers committed to keeping him if the pairing with DK Metcalf works out?
However, in spite of questions about his effort play-to-play, and the Steelers being rudderless at quarterback, Pickens has 174 receptions, 2,841 receiving yards, and 12 touchdowns across three pro seasons.
Should Pickens Stay or Go? Insider Gives His Take
Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette went on The Rich Eisen Show to address the Pickens trade rumors. “Very presumptive rumors, Rich. I never expected that to happen. It was never indicated to me that that was going to happen,” Dulac said.
“Now, that being said, I do not expect him to be here beyond this year. They will not give him a second contract. They have until November if they want to trade him,” Dulac points out. “Look, they got a number two for (former Steelers receiver) Chase Claypool. Maybe they can snooker another NFL team and get a number two for George Pickens.”
Then pivoting to how this can help Pittsburgh’s quarterback conundrum, Dulac said, “and then what you do … Pick up another two, they get a bunch of comp picks, three and four next year, three and third and fourth round. Package a bunch of those together. Move up in the first round and go get the quarterback you want.”
When Eisen points out that the field could be competing with the Cleveland Browns in trading for a prime first round position to get a top quarterback prospect, Dulac criticized the Browns.
“Well, here’s a shocker, Rich. If that’s the case, that just means Cleveland wasted two draft picks, which has been their history,” said Dulac. “And what surprises me about that move is I believe the Shedeur Sanders move came from Jimmy Haslem, and what surprises me about that is he was a Steeler investor for years, and being an investor and being around the Steelers, he learned nothing about running a franchise. That’s my two cents.”
The Steelers current options at quarterback are longtime backup Mason Rudolph, Skyler Thompson, and Will Howard who was drafted by the Steelers in the sixth round. It’s been speculated that the Steelers will sign Aaron Rodgers to be their starter in 2025, but he has yet to commit.
Rodgers’ decision will not change the Steelers’ long-term need for a solution at quarterback, but it could potentially affect where the Steelers land in the 2026 draft.