With Pickens Out and Metcalf in: What’s Next for Pittsburgh?
With the 2025-2026 NFL Season on its way in just a few short months, the Pittsburgh Steelers are far from done making big-time moves to gear up for the road ahead. Back in March, the Steelers acquired star wide receiver D.K. Metcalf in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks, giving up a 2025 second-round pick, and swapping their fifth-round and sixth-round picks. Originally, this had raised some concerns for DBs around the league, as the duo of Metcalf and George Pickens is surely one to worry about. Concerns would have stuck, had Pickens not been traded to the Dallas Cowboys a month after the fact. The question arises now: What’s next for Pittsburgh?
The name that comes to mind when thinking about the Steelers’ next move is Aaron Rodgers. His name has been thrown around with the Steelers plenty in the past couple of months. As a free agent and an aging quarterback, Rodgers has limited options to where the end of his career lies. However, the Steelers seem to be the perfect fit. Rodgers’ last impressive season came in 2021-2022, when he recorded 4,115 yards, 37 touchdowns while only throwing four interceptions. Unfortunately, this was followed up by his Achilles injury just a few snaps into the first game of the 2023 regular season, rendering him out for the remainder of the season. After losing their team leaders in passing yards, rushing yards, and receiving yards from last season, the Steelers are looking to reload and remain a contender, as a team that hasn’t finished with a losing record since 2003. Rodgers has made it no secret that the Steelers are at the top of his destination list, and a veteran QB with playoff experience is just what the Steelers need to round out their offense. Also, rookie QB Will Howard has shown promising signs of work ethic and determination. With Rodgers in the mix, it’s a great opportunity for Howard to learn more about what it takes to dominate as a professional quarterback, hopefully solidifying his hopes for the team’s future and his role along the way.
In the current day and age of professional football, maintaining stacked and explosive offensive rosters and schemes, most teams wouldn’t think twice about keeping two incredibly talented receivers on the same team. However, quite obviously, George Pickens and his temper is likely the reason he was traded. Pickens has shown many instances in his NFL career in which it is difficult for him to control his emotions. Also, the size and speed added to the Steelers’ offense with the addition of D.K. Metcalf will open up the field and give spacing and creative elements to the offense. Standing at six foot four and 235 pounds, Metcalf clocked in at 4.33 seconds for his 40-yard dash. Implementing this type of versatility and washing out the off-field and locker room drama with Pickens, the Steelers will be looking to do whatever they can to make this sure-fire roster live up to its expectations.
