Steelers Now
Former Pittsburgh Steelers guard Kendall Simmons did not hold back on George Pickens. He thinks Pickens needs to get it together, or he’ll be on his way out of the Steel City.
‘If you gonna be a cancer, you gotta go,” Simmons said on the Joba and the Mouth Show. “To me, it’s that simple. George, he has to own things and stuff that he like and he don’t like. But he has a superstar ability, I really do believe that. It’s just the off-the-field stuff that is gonna keep him from being All-Pro and all those different accolades that he could possibly get just based on his talent. I don’t see him being there for much longer. He’s going to wear out his welcome if he hasn’t already.”
Pickens is heading into the final year of his rookie deal in 2025. And given how the first three years have gone, his future in Pittsburgh is very uncertain. The 23-year-old has been fined on many occasions and a recent report revealed he arrived late to the Steelers Christmas day game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Steelers have given Pickens more than enough time to mature, but it feels as though he has taken more steps backwards than towards that goal.
Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger also thinks the Steelers have to consider trading the highly talented but also unpredictable wide receiver.
“You either sign him to a long-term deal and give him a bunch of money. You let him play this year—you franchise him—then he’s gone, so you have two years with him. You trade him, because right now is the only time that he’s worth anything. Next year he’s on his last deal anyway,” Roethlisberger said on his *Footbahlin *podcast.
“Now the issue with trading him is you don’t have a number two right now. So if you get rid of your number one, now you don’t have a one or a two.”
While Pickens has been subject to trade rumors since the end of the season, the former Georgia Bulldog doesn’t think he’s going anywhere, though.
The 33rd Team recently posted a trade idea that would send Pickens to the Washington Commanders, and in exchange, the Steelers would receive their 2025 second-round pick.
“Via: Me.. these pages are not in the building. Or any facility. Just stop lying for clicks and views my brotha,” Pickens commented.
Aaron Becker contributed reporting for this story.
