Nearly on his own, Dallas Cowboys WR George Pickens is outproducing the entire Pittsburgh Steelers’ depth chart. While that is leading many fans to regret the move that sent Pickens to Dallas shortly after April’s draft, at least one insider is defending the team.
“You have tight ends that you believe in. You have a run game you believe in,” ESPN’s Dan Graziano said on Tuesday’s Get Up. “So that reflects that a little bit, right? They’re not, they’re not a wide receiver heavy offense.”
As Dave Bryan pointed out, Pickens is over 1,000 yards this season. Combined, the Steelers’ receivers only have a few more than that.
George Pickens now has 67 for 1,054 yards. All of the Steelers wide receivers combined have 84 catches for 1,082 yards. #Steelers #NFL
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) November 24, 2025
On the surface, Graziano’s point is fair. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith runs a tight end heavy approach and Pittsburgh has invested plenty in the position. A second-round pick in Pat Freiermuth, a third-rounder in Darnell Washington, the offseason trade for Jonnu Smith. Of the top-10 highest-paid tight ends from an average yearly value perspective, two of them are Steelers.
Even granting the point, the tight end production hasn’t been enough. Washington has come on strong as an impactful tight end as a receiver and blocker. Freiermuth’s season has run hot and cold and he’s on pace to have the least productive season of his career. Smith has volume with 29 receptions but is barely averaging more than 6 yards per catch. He has just one first down in his last five games.
At receiver, DK Metcalf has gone quiet for long stretches of the season. He doesn’t have more than 55 yards in any of his last six games and hasn’t eclipsed 100 since the Dublin win over Minnesota. Calvin Austin III has taken his lumps while Roman Wilson’s numbers have been quiet, though his play has been better than his production.
Had Pickens stayed, he wouldn’t be replicating his production. That alone shouldn’t make anyone feel better.
“The situation is very different,” Domonique Foxworth said. “But it doesn’t change the fact that if I’m a Steelers fan, I hate that. I hate seeing that.”
Perhaps Pittsburgh will use the third-round pick acquired in the Pickens deal for a wide receiver to pair with Metcalf for next season. But the team will need a quarterback and offensive scheme to get him the football.
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