Pittsburgh Steelers

Negotiations over a potential trade involving Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens "have really cooled here," according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Fowler reported Sunday on SportsCenter that Pickens "does want to stay in Pittsburgh" and "wants to make this work." The Steelers' continued pursuit of Aaron Rodgers is a factor as well.

"Keep in mind, the Steelers are in a position where they need to keep that receiver room as attractive as possible for that man you saw at the Kentucky Derby, Aaron Rodgers, not yet signed," Fowler said. "So, they're not really in the business of trading off capable pieces right now that he could potentially be throwing to.

"So, my sense right now is that the Steelers remain optimistic like they have been about Rogers eventually signing with Pittsburgh, but it's his fourth foray into free agency and his 20-year career, still feels like anything could happen, but right now it is status quo with the Steelers and Rodgers."

Even leaving aside the Rodgers situation and DK Metcalf's arrival, keeping a motivated Pickens is probably the best outcome for Pittsburgh.

The 24-year-old possesses the kind of talent that can make him a perennial Pro Bowler. It says everything about his skill set that he has 2,841 receiving yards through three seasons, yet his career has felt a little disappointing so far.

Pickens is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and his impending free agency provides a strong incentive to deliver on the field. If he's coming into camp more focused, then maybe he'll become more consistent on the field and avoid making the small mistakes that add up over time.

For the Steelers, Pickens' untapped potential is worth more than he's likely to yield in a trade.

The Pittsburgh Steelers reportedly weren't focused on adding quarterback Shedeur Sanders in the NFL draft, instead having an eye on looking toward the 2026 class for their long-term solution at the position.

Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette spoke about the matter in an interview with Rich Eisen on Tuesday (quoted section begins at 1:44).

"Quarterback was not going to be a priority...They are all in in 2026 on moving up and trying to get what they believe to be their next franchise quarterback or certainly their starter for a number of years," Dulac said in part.

"And so, I think their plan all along has been geared that way. I know obviously the Steelers thought he had a nice skill set and everything, but...I never got the impression that he was high on their list to draft Rich, at any point. At any point."

Eisen then followed up and asked Dulac if he was saying that Sanders was never going to be a Steeler "at any point" in the draft to the best of his knowledge.

"Best to my knowledge, that is correct," Dulac replied.

The Steelers had three chances to pick Sanders in the first, third and fourth rounds but ended up selecting defensive tackle Derrick Harmon, running back Kaleb Johnson and edge-rusher Jack Sawyer in those spots, respectively.

Sanders ended up going early in the fifth round to the Cleveland Browns, who added a signal-caller earlier in the third round in Oregon's Dillon Gabriel.

Pittsburgh was a popular pre-draft target for draft analysts simply because the Steelers don't have a long-term QB on the roster. The Steelers obviously have a semblance of plan, though, based on Dulac's remarks regarding the 2026 class.

If the Steelers want to want until then to look for a quarterback, they could have some good options.

Bleacher Report dropped its "way-too-early" 2026 NFL mock draft, and South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers, Texas' Arch Manning, Penn State's Drew Allar, Clemson's Cade Klubnik and UCLA's Nico Iamaleava all went in the top 18, with the last player heading to Pittsburgh.

In the meantime, the Steelers hope that Aaron Rodgers agrees to be their QB of the present. Pittsburgh also did add a QB in the sixth round in Ohio State's Will Howard, who just led the Buckeyes to the national championship.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have yet to see some more progress toward signing veteran free-agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but it sounds like there's some optimism that they will get it done.

The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported on Tuesday's episode of Scoop City (25:00 mark) that the two sides have maintained strong communication and the Steelers feel that Rodgers is close to a decision.

"Nothing's really gonna happen until Rodgers makes a decision, and the Steelers feel like it's coming soon. I can tell you they're talking, the communication, I was told, is really good between both teams," Russini said.

Pittsburgh used a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft to select Ohio State quarterback Will Howard, adding him to a QB room that includes veteran backups Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson. None of them is considered a viable starter for the 2025 season, leaving the Steelers with no choice but to continue hoping that Rodgers signs with them.

The 41-year-old was mulling retirement at one point, but all signs point to him returning for a 21st NFL season. He even had a throwing session with new Pittsburgh wide receiver DK Metcalf earlier this month, further fueling the speculation that he will be wearing the Black & Gold in 2025.

However, nothing is set in stone until Rodgers signs on the dotted line, so the Steelers are taking a major risk by continuing to wait for him to decide on his future.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are reportedly adding a veteran presence to their wide receiver room.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Monday that Pittsburgh agreed to a one-year, $2 million deal with wide receiver Robert Woods. Woods appeared in 15 games for the Houston Texans last season.

There was a time when adding Woods would have been a major move.

After all, he posted more than 1,100 receiving yards in back-to-back seasons in 2018 and 2019 as a member of the Los Angeles Rams and has four different seasons with five or more touchdown receptions.

He was also a critical part of the 2021 Rams team that won the Super Bowl and appeared well on his way to more than 1,000 yards and perhaps a career-high in touchdowns with 45 catches for 556 yards and four touchdowns through nine games until he was sidelined by a torn ACL.

That was Woods' fifth and final season with Los Angeles after he played the first four seasons of his career on the Buffalo Bills.

The USC product hasn't been the same in terms of individual production since suffering the ACL injury. He played for the Tennessee Titans in 2022 and the Texans in each of the last two seasons and posted a combined three touchdown catches during those three years.

Woods was a secondary playmaker for Houston last season and posted 20 catches for 203 yards and zero touchdowns.

He likely won't be anything more than a secondary contributor in Pittsburgh either considering the team already has DK Metcalf, George Pickens and Calvin Austin III at wide receiver. However, that could change if some of the Pickens trade rumors turn into an actual move, which would elevate Woods into a larger role.

Perhaps then he could take advantage of the double teams Metcalf draws and return to form in 2025.

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin provided an update on the team's pursuit of Aaron Rodgers in free agency.

Tomlin revealed that the Steelers have had "really productive" discussions with Rodgers during a Saturday appearance on NFL Network.

"We feel good about our plan at the position," Tomlin said.

There was buzz surrounding Pittsburgh possibly choosing Colorado's Shedeur Sanders leading up to the draft, and the team was reportedly split on selecting Sanders with the No. 21 overall pick before adding Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon.

The Steelers ultimately chose Ohio State quarterback Will Howard in the sixth round, while Sanders fell to the fifth round before the Cleveland Browns traded up to acquire him with the No. 144 selection.

Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson were the only quarterbacks on Pittsburgh's roster heading into the draft, with both players primarily operating in reserve roles last season.

Howard showed promise during his 2024 campaign with the Buckeyes, but it's risky to rely on a sixth-round rookie to contribute right away.

If the Steelers are expecting to return to the playoffs once again, their chances of doing so could hinge on Rodgers' decision.

Communication between both sides has reportedly been sparse of late, with the four-time MVP revealing that retirement is also on the table.

Contract talks appear to be moving in a positive direction with Tomlin's latest update, though.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens could be on the move ahead of Day 2 of the 2025 NFL draft.

Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported the Steelers have been "receiving calls" about Pickens and that the team is "open to conversations" on the fourth-year receiver.

Pickens had 59 catches for 900 yards and three touchdowns in 2024. He was the Steelers' top receiver by a wide margin last season but the addition of DK Metcalf should move Pickens to a No. 2 receiver role if he remains with the team.

Pittsburgh dealt its 2025 second-round pick for Metcalf and are slated to pick 83rd on Friday night. The team took defensive tackle Derrick Harmon in the first round and could benefit from having another high pick to fill other holes.

Pickens is entering the final year of his rookie contract and will carry a cap hit of $4.2 million, per Spotrac. The addition of Metcalf and his four-year, $132 million extension may make an extension for Pickens hard to swallow.

The Steelers could look to deal Pickens and allow another team to pay his extension while getting an additional choice during Friday's portion of the draft.

Even though the Pittsburgh Steelers were thought of as a possible landing spot for Shedeur Sanders in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft, they instead opted to address the trenches by taking Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon at No. 21 overall.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters after the first round the addition of Harmon was about the "extreme urgency" they felt to improve their defensive front early in the draft:

"Extreme urgency to be quite honest with you. There's no substitute for young talent. You don't have a chance to field a quality defense unless you're stout up front. (Harmon) is a guy who has the opportunity to look toward the likes of Cam Hayward and put his hand in that pile and be a significant contributor for years to come."

The buzz about Sanders landing with the Steelers was driven, in part, by Tomlin speaking very highly of him during a pre-draft press conference on Tuesday:

"I think the things that stood out were evident in his video. There's a toughness there that doesn't get talked about enough. There's a competitive spirit there; it doesn't get talked about enough. I know he's very talented and made a lot of plays for his university and his team, but the intangible qualities displayed on tape were impressive to me."

Quarterback is also a need for Pittsburgh, though the team is still waiting for Aaron Rodgers to decide both if he's going to play in 2025 and if he will sign with them.

The Steelers' passing on Sanders in the first round makes it much less likely he will end up with them because they don't pick again until the third round. Their second-round pick was traded to the Seattle Seahawks in the DK Metcalf deal.

Tomlin's assessment that the Steelers needed to improve the defensive line is accurate. One of the big reasons they ended the 2024 season on a five-game losing streak, including their playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens, is because they allowed an average of 157.4 rushing yards per game during that stretch.

Adding the 313-pound Harmon who has upside as a pass-rusher and shows good ability to get through blocks on running plays should immediately help solve some of those problems Pittsburgh had down the stretch.

There's still a huge question about what the Steelers are doing at quarterback in 2025, but they felt like the value in the first round was better used on upgrading in the trenches.

Defensive tackle Derrick Harmon called Thursday night "bittersweet" as his mother was unable to be by his side when the Pittsburgh Steelers picked him 21st overall in the 2025 NFL draft.

The former Oregon player told reporters Thursday night that his mom was on life support and that he intended to go to the hospital to inform her he was drafted.

His mother, Tiffany Saine, died shortly after Harmon visited her at a Detroit hospital, Saine's sister told The Oregonian's James Crepea.

Harmon cited his mother as a source of inspiration when speaking to reporters on Thursday.

ESPN shared the story of Harmon and his mother during the broadcast of the draft. She suffered a stroke when her son was a freshman at Michigan State in 2021.

A native of Detroit, playing for the Spartans allowed Harmon to remain close to home. He said transferring to Oregon for his senior year "was probably the hardest decision I had to make," and he made a final decision after his mother gave him her blessing.

Ahead of the Rose Bowl, Harmon told reporters he used some of his NIL earnings to purchase a wheelchair-accessible van for his mom.

The Ducks' defensive standout was the No. 21 overall player and third-best interior defender on Bleacher Report's final 2025 big board. B/R NFL scout Matt Holder compared him to longtime NFL tackle DaQuan Jones.

After the choice was made Thursday night, Brent Sobleski of B/R said Harmon "is such a Pittsburgh Steelers pick that it should have been announced at a Primanti Bros."

"Harmon immediately fills the void left by Larry Ogunjobi, who joined the Buffalo Bills in free agency," Sobleski said. "He is also the type of interior defensive lineman who's capable of growing into a similar player as Cameron Heyward. He'll now get the opportunity to learn from the four-time first-team All-Pro."

Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers remain in ongoing discussions as the team awaits the 41-year-old's free-agency decision, according to The Athletic's Dianna Russini.

"No timetable has been set by either side," Russini reported Friday.

During Round 1 of the 2025 NFL draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers were widely expected to select one of the top quarterbacks still on the board at No. 21—either Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders or Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart.

Instead, they surprised many by drafting Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon, keeping the door open for a potential offseason deal with Rodgers.

Despite the speculation, the Steelers never intended to take a quarterback, with general manager Omar Khan expressing confidence in their draft strategy and selection.

"We were on the clock," Khan said Thursday night, per ESPN's Brooke Pryor. "We got the player that we wanted."

Harmon was a player the Steelers had zero intention of passing on. According to Khan, Pittsburgh fielded “several trade offers” for the No. 21 pick but refused to budge with Harmon still on the board, per Pryor.

Having landed their top target in Harmon, the Steelers remain engaged in conversations to secure a veteran quarterback.

According to NFL insider Josina Anderson, Pittsburgh was hoping to get a decision from Aaron Rodgers 48 hours before the draft began. But as Round 2 approaches, the organization is still waiting for an answer.

"I'm told the Steelers communicated with Aaron Rodgers at the beginning of the week that they would like to receive an answer from him before the Draft (at least 48 hours), per league source," Anderson said. "Steelers know the outcome of that conversation."

Meanwhile, Rodgers is balancing his new-found personal life with the demands of football, adding another layer of complexity to his looming decision.

"From the jump, I'm in a different phase of my life. I'm 41 years old, I'm in a serious relationship, and have off-the-field stuff going on that requires my attention," Rodgers said on The Pat McAfee Show. "I have a lot of things that are taking my attention, and have beginning in January, away from football. That's been where I've been focusing my attention on. Making a commitment to a team is a big thing."

The odds of wide receiver George Pickens getting a change of scenery this offseason may not be high, according to The Athletic's Dianna Russini.

"I don't get that sense," she said on the Scoop City podcast when referencing the rumors that Pickens could be traded. "Do I think the player may like the idea? Yes, but I don't get the sense that right now that a team is calling the Pittsburgh Steelers looking to trade for George Pickens."

Pickens has had an up-and-down run in Pittsburgh through three years.

The 24-year-old's talent is obvious. He has caught 174 passes for 2,841 yards and 12 touchdowns, and he has pulled off some spectacular grabs.

That has made his tenure all the more frustrating because Pickens can't seem to get out of his own way. Punctuality is reportedly a problem for him. His effort can be lacking occasionally. He's not afraid to share his opinion, be it good or bad.

When the Steelers acquired DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks, it looked like they might at least be giving themselves some options with Pickens. He's entering the final year of his rookie contract and it's tough to pin down his value on a multiyear deal.

Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz reported Wednesday the team "has taken and made calls on the talented WR." Schultz spoke to one AFC general manager who said the Green Bay Packers have been a "serious" suitor.

But with the Steelers' general uncertainty at quarterback, this may not be an ideal time to weaken their receiving corps. Especially if the team is planning on drafting a QB and starting him at some point in 2025, a tandem of Metcalf and Pickens will make that player's life a lot easier.

Based on Russini's report, Pittsburgh may have canvassed the trade market to see whether dealing Pickens would actually be worth it. Since he's still on the team, we may have our answer.