Total Pro Sports
Pittsburgh Steelers star wide receiver George Pickens has single-handedly ramped up trade speculation with his interesting social media activity.
With George Pickens entering his contract year, the fourth-year wideout has been widely mentioned as a possible trade candidate during this week’s NFL Draft. The Steelers already found a new No. 1 receiver by trading for Seattle Seahawks star D.K. Metcalf, and some of Pickens’ antics have clearly become problematic in Steel City.
Don’t forget that after a road loss to the Cleveland Browns last season, head coach Mike Tomlin called for Pickens “to grow up.” And during a Week 5 home game against the Dallas Cowboys, Pickens wore eyeblack that read, “Open f**king always”.
On Wednesday, several folks on X/Twitter noticed that Pickens no longer follows the Steelers on Instagram. Naturally, it’s easy to speculate that he’s ready to leave Pittsburgh.
🚨BREAKING: Star wide receiver George Pickens has UNFOLLOWED the #Steelers on Instagram.
👀
Pickens, in the final year of his rookie contract, is looking for a contract extension and has been a part of recent trade rumors.
As of last week, Pickens was still following the team pic.twitter.com/ZsDWItV8Sb
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) April 24, 2025
George Pickens unfollowed the Steelers on the eve of the NFL Draft…
Could he be getting traded? 👀 pic.twitter.com/A4aV3bweIY
— BetMGM 🦁 (@BetMGM) April 24, 2025
Oh Boy: Star WR George Pickens has UNFOLLOWED the Steelers on Instagram…😳
Pickens has been a part of trade rumors over the last couple of days. pic.twitter.com/dVrBjQc1Ke
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) April 24, 2025
So, is this really the end for George Pickens in Pittsburgh? We’ll find out soon enough, but it certainly looks like he prefers a change of scenery.
Pickens enjoyed a breakout year in 2023, recording 63 receptions for 1,140 yards and five touchdowns. But the 2022 second-round pick had an inconsistent 2024 campaign, finishing with 59 catches for 900 yards and three touchdowns.
Over his first three NFL seasons, the 24-year-old Pickens has 174 receptions for 2,841 yards and 12 touchdowns. In two playoff games, he has 10 receptions for 137 yards and one touchdown.
Pickens has obviously been unhappy with his role in Pittsburgh, and his targets will only drop with D.K. Metcalf now in the fold. With Pickens heading into the final year of his rookie deal, it just feels like the best time for both sides to move on.
Pittsburgh could probably fetch a second or third-round pick in return for Pickens. And given their history of finding quality receivers after round one (including Pickens), the Steelers could always look at drafting his replacement.
Also Read: Shedeur Sanders-Pittsburgh Steelers Rumors Take A Stunning Twist Ahead Of 2025 NFL Draft
