The Pittsburgh Steelers swapped out George Pickens for DK Metcalf, and Ray Fittipaldo believes they are better off for it. They should be, after all, since they paid more for Metcalf than they received for Pickens. But while off-field issues may have precipitated the Pickens trade, it’s on the field where they will benefit, he says.
“Being that quarterback’s best friend, being in the right place at the right time. We all know that didn’t always happen with George Pickens”, Fittipaldo said, contrasting him with DK Metcalf, on the North Shore Drive podcast.
“Yeah, George can certainly provide some big plays on occasion for you, but it was never really consistent with him”, he added of Pickens. “George never really helped himself and did the little things that you needed to succeed. DK [Metcalf], which I think is one of the biggest reasons they went out and got him, he’s a pro. He’s gonna have a professional approach, and he’s gonna be that reliable receiver that a quarterback wants”.
He pointed out that, unlike Metcalf, Pickens has never had great production in his career. Beyond one 1,000-yard season, and his yards per catch, Pickens has been an average receiver when you look at the back of his trading card. Five touchdowns is his high, while Metcalf never had fewer than five.
One can argue that George Pickens has had more quarterback issues than DK Metcalf. While Metcalf has played with Geno Smith more recently, he did spend the first half of his career with Russell Wilson. Pickens played mostly with Wilson last year, but even that saw interruptions due to injuries to both.
Still, Pickens finished third in receiving touchdowns last season, so others managed to produce more. Metcalf, with five touchdowns, finished second on the Seahawks behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
While some might balk at the idea of DK Metcalf being this choirboy professional, Mason Rudolph did just praise him, calling him the “ultimate professional”, which he didn’t say about George Pickens. In contrast, Rudolph called his former teammate a “fun personality” that he “tried to feed as much as possible”.
Back in March, the Steelers acquired Metcalf for a second-round pick, then gave him a $150 million contract. After a draft in which they didn’t draft a wide receiver, they traded Pickens along with a sixth-round pick. In return, they received third- and fifth-round picks, but they don’t have to worry about him acting out in a contract year on a team that had no intention of signing him to another contract.
Of course, Pickens and Metcalf will ultimately determine how this story plays out. If Pickens flourishes elsewhere, will it be because the Steelers failed him, or did the trade wake him up? Reportedly, while he considered requesting a trade, he did not, and wanted to play the year out.
Recommended for you