Russell Wilson defends former teammate George Pickens after Steelers divorce

Multiple stories have detailed how people within the Pittsburgh Steelers allegedly were "fed up with" mercurial wide receiver George Pickens before the club traded him to the Dallas Cowboys on May 7. 

During an appearance on the latest episode of "7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony," former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback and current New York Giants starter Russell Wilson touched upon sharing a locker room with Pickens for a season. 

"I love George," Wilson said, per Josh Carney of Steelers Depot. "His ability to catch the football is one of a kind. Anything in his vicinity, he's [going to] catch it. Hopefully he doesn't catch none of them against us. On a serious note, he's misunderstood. He wants to be great, you know? I think, also, too, his ability, where he can take it from not just being great, to being one of the world's best, I think he has that in him."

Pickens and Wilson clicked last year after a lingering calf injury sidelined the one-time Super Bowl champion signal-caller over the campaign's first six weeks. While playing with Wilson across eight regular-season games, Pickens recorded 33 receptions for 537 yards and three touchdowns. To compare, Pickens caught 26 passes for 363 yards and zero scores when Justin Fields was in the lineup from Weeks 1-6.

Pickens flashed plenty of talent during his Pittsburgh tenure. As ESPN's Todd Archer recently pointed out, though, Pickens also had issues with tardiness and "outbursts on the field and sidelines" during his three seasons with the Steelers. The 2022 second-round draft pick is in the final year of his rookie contract, and the Cowboys reportedly feel they have "the ideal culture for Pickens to thrive." 

While the Giants signed Wilson in late March, there is no indication that Big Blue seriously considered taking a flier on Pickens before the 24-year-old ended up with a division rival. One wonders if Wilson spoke with Giants general manager Joe Schoen either before or after the draft about making a move for Pickens, as the New York offense certainly could use more playmakers ahead of the upcoming season.