Insider Believes Steelers Could Trade George Pickens

One NFL insider believes the Pittsburgh Steelers could trade their top wideout to an AFC powerhouse.

Aug 24, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (14) runs upfield after catching a pass against the Detroit Lions in the first quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images / Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the midst of trying to land a superstar wide receiver in Davante Adams, but could they also be looking to make a move with one of their own?

This offseason, the Steelers traded Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers, and tried their hardest to land Brandon Aiyuk from the San Francisco 49ers. The moves were for different reasons. Trading Johnson came as an effort to clean house of distractions, while the Aiyuk negotiations were to surrounding their starting quarterback, who at the time was Russell Wilson, with star options.

Now, they're looking to do the same with Adams. But The Athletic's Dianna Russini believes they could be a second trade before the deadline, shipping Pickens out of town.

"I like the idea of under the rug, because you're right, I don't think that's a name that's getting floated around right now as something that seems obvious. But when you start thinking about how he could fit in the Chiefs offense, it does make a lot of sense," Russini said on the Scoop City Podcast.

Pickens is in the midst of his third NFL season and coming off his first 100-yard game of the year. The 23-year-old has been a highlight reel player for Pittsburgh since arriving, and this year, the team wanted to see what he can do as the No. 1 option.

So far, that has paid off, as Pickens has taken on some big name cornerbacks and come out the winner of the battle. This includes a game against Patrick Surtain and the Denver Broncos where the stat line says 29 yards but the game itself had over 100 yards and a touchdown if not for penalties on both sides of the ball.

Trading him feels out of the realm of possibilities right now, but if Pittsburgh were to collapse before the deadline things can change. That being said, it's hard to imagine them being open to giving the Chiefs their best receiver and someone they believe is a superstar in the NFL. Even if they were to start losing.

For now, trading Pickens doesn't seem like the logical expectation. Instead, the Steelers trying to land Adams feels more in the direction they're headed.

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