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Steelers brass reveals end-of-season conversation with George Pickens that foreshadows his future in Pittsburgh

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Rob Gregson | Last updated Feb 25, 2025 11:00 AM ET

When you're as talented as George Pickens, there should never be questions about your future in the NFL.

Unfortunately, for reasons that stem from everything that occurs outside of the white lines, Pickens has been the talk of a lot of trade rumors recently.

Well, Steelers GM Omar Khan made sure to let everyone know where the team stands on Pickens heading into the final year of his rookie deal...

Steelers GM Omar Khan Wants Pickens to be great in Pittsburgh

"I had a really solid exit meeting with GP [George Pickens] and I can tell you that he has a desire to be great. He has a desire to be great here. We have a desire for him to be great and to be great here," said Khan. "We'll see with respect to the contract, you know, we won't discuss that publicly and usually those things are addressed at a later date."

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Pickens doesn't shy away from being himself. That much is certain. But when being yourself results in foolish penalties, thousands of dollars in fines and repeatedly being tardy for team activities, the line has to be drawn on just how much you're willing to give a player who displays such a level of immaturity after three years in the league.

'He's just gotta grow up," said Steelers HC Mike Tomlin when asked about George Pickens penalties during a game last season. "This is an emotional game man. "These divisional games are big. He's got a target on his back because he's George. He understands that, but he's got to grow up. He's got to grow up in a hurry."

Teams will tolerate you until they can replace you. And given the Steelers' track record at the WR position in the draft, as well as the plethora of options that come out every year, moving on from Pickens would not be as devastating as it might seem.

Of course, the team needs a contingency plan in place, because they are still recovering from trading away Diontae Johnson and doing the same with Pickens would leave a barren WR room all but unplayable in 2025.