Following the Steelers' 31-28 loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 12, there's no doubt there has been a power outage in Pittsburgh, as the Steelers haven't shown any electricity on offense all year. Despite adding veteran and future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers (likely playing his final NFL season), coach Mike Tomlin's team is currently 6-5 on the year and has been unsteady on offense.
The Steelers are ranked 25th in the league in offensive yards per game and have just 2,279 yards through the air, while at the same time surrendering 3,054. Many point to their offseason trade of wide receiver George Pickens as the problem. He was shipped off to Dallas in May.
As several fans and observers have mentioned on social media, Pickens has 1,054 receiving yards thus far in 2025. The remaining Pittsburgh wide receivers' combined total yards are just 1,009. To make matters worse, the Steelers only received a third-round draft pick from the Cowboys for their biggest playmaker.
“I swear, there's a higher power guiding all of this," Pickens has said. "I was meant to get this fresh start in Dallas. It felt like coming home - in a real way.”
Pickens is currently in talks with the Cowboys to sign a long-term deal, while his former franchise may end up in a rebuilding mode if they somehow manage to miss the postseason.
George Pickens' problems in Pittsburgh
Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Pickens' exit was possibly brought on by some erratic behavior and unnecessary penalties in Pittsburgh, something he has acknowledged himself. In a game late in the 2024 campaign, he was flagged for two unsportsmanlike penalties that nearly cost Pittsburgh a win, prompting a telling response from Tomlin.
"He's just got to grow up, man," the Steelers coach said about Pickens last season. "This is an emotional game, man. These divisional games are big. He's got a target on his back because he's George; he understands that. But he's got to grow up. He's got to grow up in a hurry."
Pickens has apparently found that maturity - and comfort level - in Big D. He caught nine passes for 146 yards and a touchdown in his team's 24-21 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Pickens has 67 receptions for 1,054 yards and eight scores on the season.