Aaron Rodgers Influenced Steelers' George Pickens Trade

Even before he was on the roster, Aaron Rodgers was indirectly influencing how the Pittsburgh Steelers went about conducting business this offseason.

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Steelers came to the conclusion that Rodgers and wide receiver George Pickens would not get along well due to the latter's maturity issues, which acted as the impetus for them to trade the 24-year-old to the Dallas Cowboys on May 7.

“Staying with Pittsburgh-related matters, the Steelers moved on from Pickens for a few reasons," Fowler wrote. "His maturity issues were well-known within Pittsburgh’s locker room and front office. So, the Steelers made the evaluation that Pickens and Rodgers probably would not hit it off."

In exchange for Pickens and a 2027 sixth-round pick, Pittsburgh netted a 2026 third-round selection and a 2027 fifth-rounder from Dallas.

It never felt as though Pickens was long for the Steelers, and that notion was validated after the organization acquired DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks in March, whom they immediately signed to a four-year, $132 million extension.

Pittsburgh's patience certainly seemed to wear thin with Pickens after several years of antics that consistently drew negative attention. After reportedly racking up over $200,000 in fines during the 2023 campaign, he paid back just over $90,000 in 2024 while also showing up late to the team's Christmas Day game against the Kansas City Chiefs and fighting Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II at the end of their Week 12 matchup.

Now, Pickens will have a chance to earn a massive payday when he enters unrestricted free agency next offseason while playing alongside Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb this year.

On the other hand, Rodgers and Metcalf will look to continue building chemistry as teammates after joining forces for a throwing session at UCLA in April.