Does George Pickens trade mean Steelers have moved on from Aaron Rodgers?

Many believed the Pittsburgh Steelers chose not to trade wide receiver George Pickens this offseason because they anticipated signing veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers and aimed to provide him with a strong group of playmakers.

Thus, the football community was surprised when NFL Media's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero revealed on Wednesday morning that the Steelers were sending Pickens and a 2027 sixth-round draft pick to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2026 third-round selection and a 2027 fifth-rounder. 

During an appearance on Pittsburgh sports radio station 93.7 The Fan, Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette addressed whether the club's trading of Pickens shows that Rodgers won't join the organization ahead of the upcoming season. 

"I think this decision to trade George Pickens is totally separate from what happens with Aaron Rodgers," Fittipaldo explained, as Ross McCorkle of Steelers Depot shared. "But if you do want to project out and think about how would Aaron Rodgers mesh with somebody like George Pickens, I don't think it would be good. I can't sit here and name you a quarterback who would mesh well with a receiver who doesn't run his routes properly, who doesn't attend meetings [and] is late."

ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter noted after the draft that Pickens "has had some punctuality issues" during his pro career, which began when the Steelers made him a second-round pick in the 2022 draft. NFL insider James Palmer of Bleacher Report said things had "not gone well behind the scenes between George Pickens and the Pittsburgh Steelers and everybody involved." 

Pickens routinely gave head coach Mike Tomlin headaches, such as when the 24-year-old allegedly showed up late for Pittsburgh's 2024 Christmas Day game. In January, The Athletic's Mike DeFabo said during a radio interview that Pickens was "late for practice often" and lacked "a certain level of professionalism." 

Pickens began Wednesday in the final year of his rookie contract. Earlier this offseason, the Steelers signed DK Metcalf to a five-year deal worth $150M to acquire him from the Seattle Seahawks. 

Pittsburgh was not interested in giving Pickens the type of multi-year agreement he'll likely want from the Cowboys or a different club. 

As for Rodgers, he reportedly "has stayed in relatively constant contact with [Mike] Tomlin" since the 41-year-old visited the Steelers in March. Thus, it sounds like Rodgers may have known some time ago that Pittsburgh could move on from Pickens for the right price this spring.