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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens isn't quite living up to the preseason hype he received. He has yet to catch a touchdown and has broken 15 PPR fantasy points just once this year. It's not much of a surprise, considering the Steelers chose Arthur Smith to be their offensive coordinator.
Smith is perhaps best known for not using his team's best weapons. Pickens' usage has been puzzling, with the receiver dipping below 60% of offensive snaps in Week 5. Pickens responded by running a few lazy routes, not attempting to get open or create separation. This likely has led to friction between him and the coaching staff.
Will he be traded this season to another team because of his lack of effort?
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Will George Pickens Be Traded This Season?
Despite his history of attitude problems and the reduction in snaps over the recent weeks, it's unlikely he'll be traded to another team. He's the clear top option in the Steelers' passing offense, and they don't have much else. That said, his lack of effort was prominent in the Week 5 loss and an oddity at that.
TRENDING: #Steelers receiver George Pickens SHOWED ZERO EFFORT LAST NIGHT while ‘running’ his routes.
😳😳😳
I’ve never seen a player so turned off like this.
THIS TYPE OF PLAY USUALLY GETS THE PLAYER CUT…pic.twitter.com/L0ZVV9DA7z
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) October 7, 2024
There simply isn't an excuse for this kind of behavior. A less talented athlete would likely be cut or benched quickly. Pickens's behavior has also irked his teammates, understandably so. Not being a team player is one of the quickest ways to lose the trust and faith of the rest of the team.
"There are players who are sick of it" @MikeDeFabo joined @JRown32 tonight and had a harsh reality to George Pickens's antics/actions. pic.twitter.com/VBNLMaSpxy
— 93.7 The Fan (@937theFan) October 12, 2024
To the outside eye, it seems like he cares more about his own targets, receiving yards, and overall stats than helping the team win. The Steelers are not a totally unreasonable organization, and Pickens is still a good player, but perhaps they would be if Smith was in charge of the personnel decisions.
The Steelers' new OC prefers to run the ball. He runs it so much it's fair to question whether he likes the concept of the forward pass in any manner other than to help set up more run plays. The third-year pro is clearly not happy about this. It could be an ego problem, but it's not going to get any better for him. Issues have been reported throughout his career.
Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith on why George Pickens’ snap count was down during Sunday’s game: pic.twitter.com/9oKXKTNpGq
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) October 10, 2024
There haven't been any rumors from credible sources that a trade is imminent.
George Pickens Fantasy Football Outlook
If he continues to see a decline in the number of snaps he plays or even maintains his low rate, his fantasy production will be significantly hampered. He's just the WR41 in full-PPR scoring, making him a WR4 and hardly worth starting outside of deeper leagues. Smith's offense won't do him any favors when he has higher snap counts, though.
The former Atlanta Falcons OC is not going to transition to a more pass-heavy offense, and No. 14's disgruntlement is likely to stick around or even grow. It's tough to see him making the leap to even a solid WR2 in the current situation. Fantasy managers would like to see him traded, but it seems like it's unlikely to happen.
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