After he was traded to the Dallas Cowboys, the anti-George Pickens faction oozed out of the woodwork, accusing the overly-emotional star receiver of being a "bad locker-room guy.''
And maybe much of what the Pittsburgh Steelers have whispered and leaked about the talented-but-temperamental receiver Pickens is true.
He threw tantrums. Showed up when he wanted to. Seemed selfish as he did his own thing.
And the 2025 Steelers simply cannot tolerate such a thing! ...
Unless it comes, apparently, from Aaron Rodgers, who comes to Pittsburgh from his two-year stint with the New York Jets not only lugging the baggage of being a faded four-time MVP who at age 41 is trying to hang on for one final go ...
But who also brings the baggage of - you guessed it - threw tantrums, showed up when he wanted to and seemed selfish as he did his own thing.
We're not arguing against Pickens' alleged penchant for creating locker-room drama and distractions. ... or that head coach Mike Tomlin tired of dealing with the nonsense.
Nor are we insisting that his new team, the Dallas Cowboys, will wave a behavioral magic wand and fix everything. (Though playing with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb while bidding for a new contract might help George's mood.)
What we are wondering is how the Steelers are prepared to deal with the walking distraction that Aaron Rodgers ... simply is.
Dangerously wacky theories on the world. Announcing a consideration of a bid to run for Vice President of the United States. The promotion of psychedelic drugs. Skipping camp work to vacation in Egypt. Popping on ESPN with Pat McAfee to blame everyone around him when things go wrong.
That's part of The Aaron Rodgers Reality.
On the field? In 2023, Rodgers got hurt in Week 1 and the Jets flopped to a 7-10 season. In 2024, he was healthy and he played all 17 games ... and he made the Jets worse as they double-flopped to a 5-12 season.
And the Jets cut him.
Is Rodgers a better player than Pickens? A better teammate? A more focused team-first guy? All of that had better be true ... or the Steelers have just exposed themselves as being somewhere between "hypocrites'' and "poor judges of character.''