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On March 17, I wrote on this site about the delay in Aaron Rodgers going to Pittsburgh:
“Do you really think Rodgers wants to play with two prima donna receivers like Metcalf and George Pickens? I doubt it.”
The Steelers traded Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys today.
Nobody is going to write this, so here goes – it’s possible Rodgers had a little something to do with this.
After Pittsburgh lost 29-10 to Kansas City Chiefs on December 25, 2024, one of the team’s leaders, defensive tackle Cam Heyward, said about the team’s defense in that game: “When 10 guys do their job, and one doesn’t, we are screwed.”
Former NFL receiver Terrell Owens tweeted in response to this quote, “Same on offense as well when you got #14 (Pickens) not running his routes causing INTs.”
In this Steelers’ loss to KC, Pittsburgh QB Russell Wilson threw a pass into the end zone into heavy coverage to tight end Pat Freiermuth that was picked off. After the game, Wilson said he thought Pickens was running a vertical route to the end zone that would draw the safety away, allowing him to make that throw to Freiermuth, but Pickens didn’t.
Pickens was asked about what Wilson said by reporter Alan Saunders.
“It seemed like you and Russ weren’t on the same page in that interception against the Chiefs. How does that happen and what do you guys do to address it?” Saunders asked Pickens.
“You said me and Russell wasn’t on the same page?” Pickens responded
“Yeah, well, that’s what he said,” Saunders replied.
“That’s what he said? Or is that what you said?” Pickens asked.
“That’s what he said,” Saunders repliend
“Oh, O.K.,” Pickens said.
Pickens and Rodgers could have been an unmitigated disaster, and the Steelers had to know this.
Pickens is not a Rodgers’ kind of receiver. Rodgers wants you to always be where you are supposed to be based on the play call.
We saw what happened last year when Rodgers was accused of throwing WR Mike Williams under the bus on a late pick by Buffalo nickel back Taron Johnson to ice a Bills win over the Jets.
“There’s two verticals, Allen’s down the seam and Mike’s down the redline… so I’m throwing a no-look to the redline. When I peak my eyes back there, Mike’s running an ‘in-breaker’ … it’s gotta be down the redline,” Rodgers said.
Now you could argue that Rodgers didn’t handle that situation ideally with the press, but maybe he was sick of getting blamed for an interception that wasn’t his fault. Not condoning the answer, but we are all so quick to blame the QBs for most picks, when often it’s not their fault.
Pickens and Rodgers would be oil and water.
Look, I know I said Metcalf can be a prima donna sometimes, but he’s a smart player who knows his assignments. And he’s usually a pain when he doesn’t get the ball. With Rodgers, he will get the ball plenty.
Look, I can’t prove Rodgers said something to Tomlin or some other Steelers official nudging them to move on from Pickens, or the Pittsburgh brass knew that relationship would be a disaster and acted on their own, but I’m just going to throw it out there – no way Rodgers would want to play with a cat like this. No way.
May 7, 2025
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