This was coming. If you’ve followed the Steelers at all this offseason, you could feel the storm building around George Pickens. This all traces back to week 13, when Pickens had a meltdown on the field against the Bengals. Two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, one too many scowls, and Mike Tomlin had seen enough. “He’s just got to grow up, man,” Tomlin said afterward. “It’s an emotional game… but he’s got to grow up. He’s got to grow up in a hurry.”

And now? According to Adam Schefter, while the Steelers aren’t shopping Pickens door-to-door, they’re not slamming the phone down either. If the right offer comes during the draft, they’re listening. Here’s where it gets spicy: Pittsburgh just handed DK Metcalf a big-money deal after acquiring him in a splashy offseason trade.

But that move didn’t just shake the depth chart. It shook the locker room. Pickens, once WR1, is now WR2. Maybe. And let’s not pretend he’s taken the demotion in stride. There’s tension. There’s timing. And there’s Tomlin, who doesn’t do circus acts.

According to Schefter, Pickens is one of several rookie-contract players that their teams may consider “expendable” before the draft. That word—expendable—says everything. The Steelers won’t force it, but if a team like, say, the Patriots calls with that juicy No. 4 overall pick on the table? It shouldn’t surprise us to see Pickens moving to a new zip code.

Meanwhile, there’s no lack of talent. Pickens has that in buckets. Through three seasons: 174 catches, 2,841 yards, and 12 touchdowns. But the Steelers want more than just jump balls and toe-taps. They want accountability. They want maturity. Most importantly, they want someone who runs after a fumble like it’s the last play of their life. Not someone who sulks when the spotlight isn’t on him.

So what’s next? Either Pickens locks in beside Metcalf and gives Pittsburgh the most dangerous WR duo in the AFC North… or he gets moved during the draft in one of those blink-and-you-miss-it trades. One thing’s for sure—Tomlin has drawn the line. And Pickens is on notice.

Maybe Mike Tomlin’s got a new weapon for a new QB

The Seahawks just sent DK Metcalf to Pittsburgh, and yes, it’s real. The moment the league year opened, Mike Tomlin had his shiny new weapon lined up in black and gold. But while that splash made waves, another rumor was cooking in the shadows—and this one’s wild enough to break the internet.

You probably saw it. T.J. Watt’s “peace out” post? Yeah, that cryptic exit sign was all it took to send the trade machine into overdrive. Enter Chris Canty, who tossed out a doozy on PFT Live: what if San Francisco swapped Brock Purdy for T.J. Watt? “The Niners should trade Purdy,” Canty said, suggesting Pittsburgh’s draft standoff with Watt could crack the door open. His logic? Use Purdy as the bait, free up cap, and grab a new QB with the 11th overall pick. Sounds spicy, but here’s the problem—this would be a disaster for the Steelers.

Watt is your franchise’s pulse. Trading him for a QB many still call a “system guy” feels like handing your Lombardi hopes to a guy who’s thrived off Shanahan’s offensive Disneyland. Purdy’s resume? Impressive. But it comes with an asterisk—top-tier O-line, elite playmakers, and a coach who makes quarterbacks look like magicians.

Put him behind Pittsburgh’s patchwork protection and a run-heavy scheme under Mike Tomlin? That’s not magic, that’s a meltdown waiting to happen. Here’s the smarter move—if the Steelers have to move Watt (big if), use the haul for real flexibility. Maybe even load up for 2026 and take a shot at Arch Manning.

But if Brock wants an out of San Francisco, which he doesn’t, there’s no animosity with Kyle… But let’s just say he does wanna move. So, yeah, the Steelers moving in would make sense for all the parties. Steel City’s without a franchise QB and they’d pay Purdy close to what he wants. However, there are a lot of ‘ifs’ attached to this dream move.

So yeah, keep Purdy in the Bay, keep Watt in the ‘Burgh—and maybe, just maybe, build something bold around that new WR1 you just traded for.