George Pickens’ father taking a brutal swipe at Russell Wilson is concerning news for Aaron Rodgers

George Pickens recently received an A+ from his father, Carl Pickens, for keeping his sanity in check throughout his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He then took a swipe at the Steelers’ former quarterbacks, including Russell Wilson.

Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan drafted Pickens in 2022. During his three-year spell in Pennsylvania, the 24-year-old received passes from several different quarterbacks. Mitchell Trubisky, Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph, Russell Wilson, and Justin Fields.

Each quarterback brought something unique to the field. The changes worked quite well in the regular season. Tomlin’s Steelers recorded a positive win/loss record each year, qualifying for the playoffs.

Playing postseason football regularly is a sign of a good system, but the Steelers had nothing to show for it at the end, creating frustration. George Pickens’ father praised his son for hanging in there without losing his cool while quarterbacks came and went.

Food for Thought: GP has played with 1 Tribusky, 2 Pickett, 3 Rodolph, 4 Wilson, 5 Fields, 6 ????. All in 3 years. I can appreciate your sanity #14.

— George Pickens # GP3 (@George33101361) March 19, 2025

It’s not a secret that Pickens is a massive talent with his prime years ahead of him. He boasts a safe pair of hands and quick feet to go past players. However, he also tends to be on the edge every game. A single confrontation or a bad pass is enough to tip him over.

During an AFC North fixture against the Browns last year, Pickens chose to drag Cleveland cornerback Greg Newsome instead of receiving a pass from Wilson. He’s lost pay time and money because of such actions.

Yet Tomlin stuck by the young wideout, claiming it’s not an attitude problem.

It’s business between he [George Pickens] and I in terms of his growth and development as a player and as a man. I just don’t think it aids that growth into the development to address it in open settings such as this. Regarding his behavior, I am aware of that.

Mike Tomlin said (H/T: Sports Illustrated)

The Steelers may end up trading away George Pickens

Pickens completed three years of his rookie contract and is in line for an extension. If the noise around the league is to be believed, then Pickens could sign a contract north of $25 million per year.

However, many analysts believe that the Steelers may not offer the former second-rounder a new deal. Instead, trading him away appears to be a more favorable option.

GP’s stats during that time make him a big asset whom the Steelers can get a high value for in the draft. According to Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo, Pickens’ future in Pittsburgh is on a knife edge.

I don’t know what the Steelers are thinking on that. If you’re asking me, my own personal opinion, I’d do it in a heartbeat.

Ray Fittipaldo suggested on 93.7 The Fan

Fittipaldo speculated that if the Steelers are really considering trading Pickens, then it might happen on day 2. The Steelers generally don’t trade down, so it can be presumed they will bag a high draft pick for that night and fill an important position.

[The Steelers] have never been afraid to trade wide receivers before, so just knowing their history, I wouldn’t discount that possibility happening on draft day.

Ray Fittipaldo said

Aaron Rodgers might get a vote in this. The Super Bowl winner remains close to becoming the next starting quarterback for the Steelers. He held talks with Tomlin and Khan, laying out his demands on the table.

Rich Eisen believes Aaron Rodgers will get a contract North of $40 million: “I think Aaron Rodgers is gonna start with a four. North of $40 million. How about this? Two years, $70 million, with incentives that can pop it up more.” #Steelers #NFL

— Blitzburgh (@Blitz_Burgh) March 29, 2025

According to former Packers’ teammate AJ Hawk, Rodgers loves the Steelers staff from top to bottom. He highlighted that the 41-year-old’s visit to the Steelers facility spoke volumes about his next step.

The only issue is the Steelers can’t pressure Rodgers to make a quick decision. And if Rodgers wants Pickens in the building, then Khan has to step away from the idea of trading him away.

Related: Dak Prescott, who is the highest-paid player in NFL history, is the only NFC East QB without a conference championship appearance