Steelers WR George Pickens could be poised to have big season

With so much speculation about the Steelers adding a veteran wide receiver, it's possible they already have a future star on the roster. Now entering his third season in the NFL, George Pickens could be on the verge of taking his game to another level in 2024. 

Pickens is coming off a season in which he caught 63 balls for 1,140 yards and scored five touchdowns. This was a major jump from only totaling 801 yards during his rookie season. He also increased his yards per reception from 15.4 to 18.1 — a metric jump shows he's now able to do more with ball once he gets it. 

Pickens was even able to show his ability to take the top off the defense last season, making a career-long 86-yard reception against the Bengals. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Pickens has a unique blend of size and speed, making him a difficult player to stop when he's in a one-on-one situation with a corner or out in space. Pickens even has the tendency to amaze fans with an ability to make acrobatic catches no one else would be able to make. 

Obviously, the drastic changes the Steelers made to their quarterback room will impact the rest of the offense, in particular the receivers. And while it remains to be seen who will be under center and what the offense will look like with Russell Wilson or Justin Fields, there's reason to believe either option will be an improvement from what Pickens has had to work with to this point in his career. 

While playing alongside Brandon Aiyuk would allow Pickens to take advantage of the defensive coverage focused on someone else, Pickens has pressure to perform in 2024 no matter what. In addition to the Steelers needing him to be at his best in order to contend in a loaded AFC North, he is on the tail end of a four-year rookie deal he signed in 2022.  

After being drafted in the second round out of Georgia, Pickens and the Steelers agreed to a four-year contract worth about $6.7 million with $3.1 million in guaranteed money. That's life-changing money for most people, but a far cry from what the top receivers are making in today's NFL economy. 

Pickens might still be a few years away from cracking any list of the top-five receivers in football, but he could certainly command a big contract if he ups his production even more and shows consistency. 

There's also the belief by some insiders that the Steelers are still evaluating Pickens, both on and off the field, before deciding to commit to him long-term. 

"I'd argue the Steelers still don't know if they should sign George Pickens to a second contract," said reporter Ray Fittipaldo as recently as late June (h/t via Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). 

It's possible Pickens may experience a rude awakening with his former teammate Diontae Johnson now in Carolina, but for a positive, his opportunities to get the ball should increase.  

Regardless of who else is on the Steelers' roster, Pickens is a player to watch and could be a key to the Pittsburgh offense being more explosive moving forward.