The Pittsburgh Steelers have had one of the busiest offseasons of any team in 2024. It was shocking enough that the organization made a move to sign veteran quarterback Russell Wilson, but it didn’t stop there. General Manager Omar Khan signed star linebacker Patrick Queen, while also trading away two guys who were once thought to be the future of the franchise in Kenny Pickett and Diontae Johnson. The aggression continued when the head of front office essentially stole Justin Fields away from the Chicago Bears for a conditional sixth-round pick. The trade of Johnson left a significant gap in the team’s wide receivers’ room, however.

The Steelers did end up inking veteran Van Jefferson to a one-year deal, but the prospect of the top three wideouts being Pickens, Jefferson and Calvin Austin III isn’t exactly encouraging. While Pickens has some of the most talent in the NFL at the position, he has had his attitude questioned more than once. Johnson proved to be a distraction and Khan parted ways with him. Could a similar situation end Pickens’ time in Pittsburgh before his rookie contract expires?

Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette hosted a fan chat on Tuesday. Someone writing in asked about Head Coach Mike Tomlin’s famous “We want volunteers, not hostages” saying. Given the lack of depth at the receiver position, the fan asked if Pickens requested a trade, if the organization would go through with it and leave the unit in complete disarray. Fittipaldo acknowledged there is a limit, but if anyone should be put on notice, it should be Pickens.

“Sure there is. But Pickens is the one who is on notice, not the Steelers. If he wants to play with the team in the long term, he’s going to have [to] improve his behavior,” Fittipaldo wrote.

Barring a wild turn of events, Pickens is set to be the top receiver on Pittsburgh’s depth chart, by far, in 2024. The organization has proven in the past, however, that players’ off-the-field and behind-closed-doors actions can lead to their ultimate dismissal. With Johnson and Pickett shown the door, Pickens is arguably the only one left who has caused distractions in recent years.

Pickens had a tremendous year in 2023, despite a quarterback situation that was in flux, especially at the end of the year. He ended up with 63 catches for 1,140 yards and five touchdowns. He also led the NFL in yards per catch at 18.1. His talent is undeniable, but the pass-catcher has had sideline outbursts and his character questioned more than one time in his short two-year professional career.

The next step in Pickens’ career will be turning into a leader in the locker room. He hasn’t given anyone reason to believe that he will be able to accomplish that. It’s possible that the Steelers decided to move on from Johnson because the desire is to pave the way for Pickens. With that said, Allen Robinson II was a strong leader in 2023 and Jefferson could be that in 2024, but Pickens needs to show a significant improvement when it comes to his maturity.

The third year for the former second-round pick will be the most important. He will be eligible for a contract extension in the 2025 offseason. If he doesn’t display strong leadership and has more outbursts on sidelines or questionable comments to the media, he might be on his way out only a year after Johnson was traded away. Fittipaldo has a point when warning Pickens about shaping up quickly.

Steelers Have Plenty Of Work To Do In The Wide Receivers Room

Whether Pittsburgh pulls off a big trade to bring in a top-notch wideout alongside Pickens or not has yet to be determined. Overall, they will be extremely active in the market. Signing another free agent, trading for one, as well as drafting in the area are all on the table. The hope is that Pickens blossoms into a superstar and his attitude justifies paying him big money going forward.