Steelers' Pat Freiermuth addresses George Pickens' mindset after DK Metcalf acquisition

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens became the subject of trade rumors months before the Steelers acquired fellow receiver DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks and handed Metcalf a five-year contract worth $150M.

During an appearance on the latest edition of the "Kaboly and Mack" program, Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth addressed Pickens' mindset as the 24-year-old remains set to play the final year of his rookie deal.

"I've talked to [Pickens] a decent amount this offseason," Freiermuth explained, as shared by Joe Clark of Steelers Depot. "GP's a great guy. He's good to have in the locker room. Obviously, stuff happens on the field, but that's just part of football and being a competitor. He cares, he tries a lot, he works hard. He's a hell of a talent, as well. So having him and DK on the outside, obviously with me in the middle of the field, is gonna cause defenses a lot of conflict." 

The Steelers could consider accepting a second-round pick in return for Pickens before or during the upcoming draft, partly because the club reportedly won't offer him a lucrative contract extension before Week 1 arrives in September. That's hardly a surprise since both Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and team owner/president Art Rooney II publicly said before paying Metcalf that they'd like to see Pickens "grow"/"grow up."

Pickens has a history of causing headaches for Tomlin and Co. during games and behind the scenes. After the Steelers' 2024 season ended with a wild-card playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens, he indicated he wasn't optimistic about the future of Pittsburgh's offense. Thus, it's understandable some would assume Pickens won't be thrilled with the idea of losing targets to Metcalf. 

However, Freiermuth suggested that's not the case. 

"I know GP is ready to work with DK, and GP is never shy of competition, so he's gonna rely on DK for his advice and stuff like that. But GP's ready to roll for sure," Freiermuth added during his comments. 

The Steelers will be a win-now team if they eventually sign Aaron Rodgers as their starting quarterback. Giving Rodgers as many weapons as possible makes sense regarding Pittsburgh's short-term goals, but it still appears that Pickens will be looking for a new football home in March 2026.