Aaron Rodgers factored into Steelers’ decision to trade George Pickens

The Pittsburgh Steelers made the decision to trade George Pickens with Aaron Rodgers’ arrival in mind.

Rodgers had not yet signed with the Steelers when Pickens was dealt to the Dallas Cowboys on May 7. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the team had already determined at that point that Pickens and his maturity issues were unlikely to go over well with Rodgers, and it was a factor in the decision to make the trade.

Pickens’ issues were widely reported around the time of the trade, and with the wide receiver entering a contract year, it is possible the Steelers might have traded him anyway. It certainly appears that Rodgers’ impending arrival only helped seal his fate. Rodgers is not the type to indulge diva behavior from his receivers, and the Steelers may have seen the opportunity to prevent some toxic locker room behavior by making the deal.

At the time of the Pickens trade, it was reported that the Steelers were not fully certain of landing Rodgers. The team had already acquired DK Metcalf in a trade earlier in the offseason, and thus could afford to move on from Pickens and potentially make their locker room more appealing.

Pickens may have demonstrated why the Steelers were done with him with some of his actions after the trade. Rodgers might have liked throwing to him, but the organization clearly felt their relationship was going to be a problem.