Steelers Now
Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens was a massive distraction on and off the field throughout his three years in Pittsburgh. While talented, the Steelers had enough off of the antics. That’s why they traded Pickens and a 2027 sixth round pick to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2026 third round pick and a 2027 fifth round pick earlier this offseason.
According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Steelers wanted to get Pickens out of town before Rodgers’ arrival. The organization thought the two big personalities would not mesh at all.
“Staying with Pittsburgh-related matters, the Steelers moved on from Pickens for a few reasons. His maturity issues were well-known within Pittsburgh’s locker room and front office. So, the Steelers made the evaluation that Pickens and Rodgers probably would not hit it off,” Fowler wrote.
In 2023, Pickens was fined over $200,000 between the NFL and the Steelers for incidents, including reported serial tardiness to team practices and meetings.
In 2024, he received over $80,000 in fines from the NFL for his on-field behavior, including unnecessary roughness, unsportsmanlike conduct, two fights after the end of a loss, a profane message on his eye black and got into a sideline spat with fans. He also was late on multiple occasions in 2024.
Rodgers is well-known be hard on his wide receivers. That was the case last season when he threw Mike Williams under the bus. He called out Williams for running the wrong route — as he should’ve ran the “red line.”
Pickens probably wouldn’t have been able to handle Rodgers’ personality. And vice versa, Pickens showing up late to meetings and games wouldn’t sit well with the four-time NFL MVP.
Rodgers throwing passes to DK Metcalf and Pickens would have certainly been intriguing. But it’s clear that Pickens’ time in the Steel City ran it’s course. Pickens had a litany of violations last year.
Three big personalities like Rodgers, Pickens and Metcalf probably wouldn’t have meshed well, either. The Steelers saw the writing on the wall and shipped Pickens to Dallas.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Report: Aaron Rodgers Played Significant Role in Steelers Trading George Pickens
