Have we learned nothing with George Pickens? 

04/09/2025 18:09

I'm sitting here, sipping my mid-morning coffee, and heard something that almost made me spit it out.ESPN's Get Up! was discussing Cowboys vs. Eagles to open the season and Dan Orlovsky was heaping a ridiculous amount of praise on George Pickens, calling him "one of the best 1v1 receivers in the NFL," and predicting that he's going to have a career year in Dallas.

We've been here before. We've been him time, and time, and time again — with the result always coming up the same: Beware of Steelers castoff receivers at your peril. If Pickens was truly one of the best 1v1 receivers in the NFL then Pittsburgh wouldn't have traded him, let alone sending him and a 6th to Dallas for a 3rd and a 5th. Is it a foregone conclusion Pickens will disappoint? No. Obviously he's been stuck playing with mediocre quarterbacks for much of his career and now has a chance to really show off with a QB like Prescott who has arm talent.

When it comes down to brass tacks there's one simple reality: The Steelers know exactly when to move on from a receiver.

Mike Wallace (2012)

Regarded as one of the best deep threat burners in the NFL, Wallace held out in training camp entering the 2012 season, seeking a bigger contract. The Steelers decided not to offer him the big-money extension he was looking for, allowing him to leave in free agency and sign a $60M deal with the Miami Dolphins, a big contract at the time — and less than he was reportedly offered by the Vikings, telling Minnesota he wanted to play in a warm weather city.

Wallace went on to have two unremarkable seasons in Miami and was traded for a 5th round pick. Despite having back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons with the Steelers he never had the same level of success again.

Antonio Brown (2018)

Unquestionably one of the best receivers in the NFL at the time, Brown became upset with his role in Pittsburgh and began his long road to becoming the biggest distraction in football. This was a player who has six straight 1,000 yard seasons, he was a first team All-Pro four years running — and in the end the Steelers were happy to trade him away for a 3rd and 5th round pick after a 1,200 yard season.

Brown never played a snap for the Raiders, becoming a headache immediately. He went on to suck out loud for the Patriots and becoming a bit-player for the Buccaneers in their Super Bowl run.

JuJu Smith-Schuster (2021)

For a while it seemed like Smith-Schuster was heir apparent to the great Steelers receivers of the past. In 2018 he exploded, finishing the season with 1,426 yards in a breakout. After that things began to turn downhill, with Pittsburgh clearly losing faith in him.

The team signed him to a 1-year, $8M extension to play in 2020 — and then let him walk in free agency. Smith-Schuster was a decent player for the Chiefs when he arrived in free agency, but never reached his career highs again, despite playing with Patrick Mahomes.

Chase Claypool (2022)

Drafted in the 2nd round to be another great receiver, Claypool didn't disappoint as a rookie as he registered nine receiving touchdowns in his opening year. Hovering just short of the 1,000 yard mark over his first two seasons, Claypool seemed to be on the precipice of breaking out.

That's exactly what the Chicago Bears thought as well, trading their 2nd round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft for him. Immediately it became apparent why the Steelers were happy to deal him, as a low-effort receiver without a good motor, Claypool was a disaster for the Bears. Only playing 10 games, Claypool was flipped to the Dolphins for a 7th rounder, where he did nothing — then went to the Bills, where he also did nothing.

Diontae Johnson (2023)

Another year, another top receiver traded. Diontae Johnson looked like a legitimate 1,000 yard No. 1 receiver, but was locked on a team trying to make Kenny Pickett work. Johnson was upset with the lack of production in Pittsburgh, which led to an unusual player trade as Johnson was sent to the Carolina Panthers for CB Donte Jackson.

Johnson was supposed to be the difference-maker needed to catapult Bryce Young's career forward. Instead he was a malcontent, put forth low-effort, and was traded mid-season to the Ravens. In Baltimore he was immediately suspended for conduct detrimental to the team, and hasn't done anything since in Pittsburgh.

In the end he was cut by the Browns leading up to the 2025 season.

What's the lesson here?

The Steelers have a type, and they're gifted at finding them: Physically talented receivers with a tendency to fall in the NFL Draft due to concerns over motor and desire. They routinely get the best out of these players while they're young, excited to be in the NFL, and trying to make a name for themselves, then fall off a cliff as soon as they're in a new environment.

What's been the biggest concern with George Pickens so far in his career? Motor and desire. There's a good chance he might assuage those fears at first, maybe even do enough to earn a big-money contract, but this will not end well. Nobody is like the Steelers when it comes to knowing when to walk away from a receiver, and there is no planet in which they would have dealt him in an all-in season with Aaron Rodgers unless they thought he'd be a detriment to the team.

It's written in the history books, and should be set in stone.