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The Pittsburgh Steelers will have a difficult time re-creating a Justin Fields and George Pickens pairing for 2025. The relationship between quarterback and wide receiver looks like only a one-year experiment, per one insider.
Fields is a free agent for the upcoming offseason. But the QB’s status has nothing to do with a reunion involving Fields and Pickens. A new Monday report from ESPN revealed the true relationship between passer and receiver.
“Some in the Pittsburgh organization are comfortable with Justin Fields being the team’s QB in 2025. He has upside and more mobility at this stage than Russell Wilson, the Steelers’ other free agent passer. But as one NFC executive pointed out, Fields didn’t seem to have great chemistry with receiver George Pickens, so it’s possible that could play a part,” the report shared.
Pittsburgh needs to ensure there’s going to be a strong partnership between Pickens and whoever is taking snaps in 2025. Pickens is the team’s leader in receiving yardage from this past season. He also doesn’t become an official free agent until 2026.
As NFL fans have seen over the years, some teams pull off trades of players before they become free agents.
Pickens could still look attractive for offenses seeking a cheaper upgrade for their scheme. He remains on his rookie deal ahead of 2025. Pickens rose as a trade idea for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. All due to Chris Godwin entering free agency this spring.
But there’s more to Pickens possibly still getting moved by the franchise. There’s been no reported discussions of the Steelers granting Pickens a fifth-year option with his deal. Or even talks of an extension to stay in the Steel City.
Pickens, in return, can have the leverage to ask for a trade or demand a new deal. He’s also likely to monitor what the Steelers do behind center.
Fields isn’t the only free agent here. So is Russell Wilson, who took the bulk of the snaps for the 2024 Steelers. He’s already is linked as a possibility for the Las Vegas Raiders, since his former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll is taking over. Wilson, however, ducked Raiders questions during the Pro Bowl this past weekend.
Wilson himself can choose to pivot back to the Steelers, even if it means accepting a lesser deal. But from the sounds of it, Wilson has the better cohesion with Pickens compared to Fields.
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