Steelers Insider Throws Cold Water on Potential Way to Replace George Pickens

The Pittsburgh Steelers won’t have the receiver duo of DK Metcalf and George Pickens after all.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported Wednesday the Steelers agreed to send Pickens and a 2027 draft pick to the Dallas Cowboys for two draft selections. The move creates a hole at wide receiver pundits thought the Steelers filled with the Metcalf trade.

Pittsburgh acquired Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks for a 2025 second-round choice.

Very quickly after the Pickens deal, NFL insiders suggested third trades the Steelers could make for another receiver this offseason. But Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac shut down that idea immediately in his fan chat Wednesday.

“No more WR trades,” Dulac wrote to a question about whether the Steelers would trade for another wideout. “They already did that.”

Steelers ‘In Play’ for Jets WR Allen Lazard After George Pickens Trade: Report

Shutting down any possibility of another receiver trade, Dulac obviously didn’t name any trade candidates. Neither did many of the fans in the chat.

But one name who surfaced Wednesday morning as a potential Steelers trade target was veteran wideout Allen Lazard.

Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio called Lazard “in play” for the Steelers on the trade market.

“Why Lazard? Because Rodgers completely and totally trusts him. And Lazard, for whatever reason, performs much better with Rodgers than he does without him,” Florio wrote. “(At one point during his first year in New York, during Rodgers’s season-long injury absence, Lazard became a healthy scratch.)”

Lazard is seemingly the perfect trade target for Pittsburgh if the Steelers sign quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Since joining the Green Bay Packers in December 2018, Lazard and Rodgers have been on the same roster every season.

Lazard followed Rodgers from Green Bay to the New York Jets in 2023.

Even if the Steelers don’t sign Rodgers, Lazard could be a decent veteran depth option for Pittsburgh. Lazard averaged a career-best 14.3 yards per reception and scored six touchdowns last season.

Without Rodgers for most of 2023, Lazard registered 23 catches for 311 yards in 14 games.

But clearly, Dulac would disagree with Florio’s report. Dulac doesn’t see the Steelers “in play” for any wide receivers already on an NFL roster.

Potential WR Free Agent Targets for Steelers

Two days after the 2025 NFL Draft ended, the Steelers added veteran receiver Robert Woods. Initially, it appeared Woods would provide depth behind Metcalf and Pickens while perhaps competing for snaps in the slot.

However, Woods is probably now in line to start opposite Metcalf.

But just because the Steelers don’t trade for another receiver doesn’t mean they can’t add another one in free agency as they did with Woods.

Veterans Keenan Allen and Amari Cooper are the two biggest names set to be available. On Wednesday, the Jacksonville Jaguars released veteran Gabe Davis, who Steelers Now’s Alan Saunders immediately suggested as a Pittsburgh target.

There are also other veteran free agent wideouts available including Nelson Agholor, DJ Chark and Tyler Boyd.

Pickens leaves behind a hole in the Steelers offense. However, the Steelers receiver room is still probably in better shape than it was last offseason.

While Pittsburgh lost George Pickens and Van Jefferson, they gained Metcalf and Woods this offseason. As bright a future as Pickens might have, that’s probably an improvement for 2025.

Slot receiver Calvin Austin III is also more proven after playing well in 2024. Furthermore, the Steelers hope 2024 third-rounder Roman Wilson can bounce back from an injury-plagued rookie season.

The Steelers don’t need to give up a draft pick in a trade for a receiver if they don’t want to. They can add more wideout depth in free agency or simply roll with who they already have on the roster.