Insider addresses George Pickens trade rumors after Steelers paid DK Metcalf

Some members of the NFL community remain convinced that the Pittsburgh Steelers acquiring wide receiver DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks and giving him a five-year contract worth $150M will result in Pittsburgh trading wideout George Pickens before the 2025 season gets underway. 

During an appearance on Pittsburgh sports radio station 93.7 The Fan over the weekend, Steelers insider Mark Kaboly of "The Pat McAfee Show" explained why he thinks Pickens will be with the club when Week 1 of next season arrives. 

"They think they can win now," Kaboly said of those running the team, as shared by Alex Kozora of Steelers Depot. "With every decision they make, they believe they're gonna win the division, get into the playoffs and have a chance at the Super Bowl. The fans might not believe it as a whole, but the organization believes in it."

Quarterbacks Justin Fields and Russell Wilson helped the 2024 Steelers win 10 of their first 13 games. Wilson then lost five straight starts from Week 15 through the wild-card round of the playoffs, and Pittsburgh subsequently let both signal-callers reach free agency. 

Fields agreed to join the New York Jets, and it seems both Wilson and the Steelers are done with each other as Pittsburgh waits to see what Aaron Rodgers will decide regarding his future. 

Meanwhile, Pickens has repeatedly caused headaches for head coach Mike Tomlin and is now in the final year of his rookie contract. Tomlin and Co. may ultimately decide the Steelers are better with Pickens on the roster this fall than without him, but that doesn't mean the 24-year-old will receive an extension from the club anytime soon. 

"I think there's zero chance that happens," Kaboly said about Pickens getting a long-term deal. "You pay Metcalf [$30M per year]...this is almost a one-and-done. I don't see any way that [Pickens] would come back at all."

Back in early February, Mike DeFabo of The Athletic suggested that the Steelers would accept a second-round draft pick in return for Pickens assuming a club would pay that price for a playmaker who hasn't yet become a proven No. 1 option at the position. Perhaps Kaboly's update shows no team is willing to part ways with such a valuable asset to land Pickens and then sign him to an extension that would make such a trade worth it.