Wide receiver George Pickens was known to be a troublemaker in Pittsburgh. So much so that the head coach, Mike Tomlin, had to call him out to “grow up” after his mask-pulling incident last season. But Pickens moved on with Dallas, yet the Steelers’ locker room is simmering with fresh turmoil.

“You look back at [Pickens’] time in Pittsburgh, at some point we have to start asking, is the drama offensively created in Pittsburgh?” Former tight end and Fox Sports analyst Greg Olsen said on the Bussin’ with the Boys podcast. “Because he’s gone and Aaron Rodgers is doing interviews yesterday where the assumption is guys aren’t coming to meetings, running the wrong routes, not doing what they’re told. The chaos offensively in Pittsburgh was that Pickens’ fault, or was that just Pittsburgh?”

Olsen’s observation cuts close to the bone. Pickens may have had his issues, but the Steelers’ problems on offense look systemic. The tipping point came with their sixth loss to the Buffalo Bills. A 26-7 blowout showing an offense that looked disjointed, and a defense gashed for nearly 250 rushing yards.

The Steelers quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, didn’t hold back after that loss and called out his teammates’ preparation.

“I thought we had a better preparation week and a poor practice week for whatever reason. I’m not sure if it was cold weather, what it was, but it wasn’t our best week of practice,” Rodgers said post-game.

Sometimes airing the team’s struggles publicly is the only way to confront deep-rooted issues and demand accountability. The quarterback also went on to explain why he completed under 50% of his passes in Week 13 of a season that could be his last. 

When there is film sessions, everybody shows up. And when I check to a route, you do the right route,” Rodgers said. “Jonnu [Smith] and I just weren’t on the same page. I checked to an in-breaker, and he ran out-breaker. We have other opportunities outside of the facility, and look forward to seeing all the boys there.”

On the other hand, Pickens hasn’t exactly cleaned up his image since leaving Pittsburgh. Now a Cowboys wide receiver, he’s been fined five times this season, including penalties for taunting and excessive celebrations. 

These fines add to a ledger of fines both in Pittsburgh and Dallas, tallying over $200,000. The Steelers traded him before his rookie contract expired, signaling they wanted to cut ties and reset.

Unveiling George Pickens’ Steelers drama

Behind that reset lies a mix of frustration inside the Steelers’ locker room. Last season, Pickens’ behavior started to wear thin with coach Tomlin. So, the general manager, Omar Khan, decided a fresh start was necessary. Khan said the move was about preserving locker room stability. 

Gerry Dulac, a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter, dug deeper during an interview on 102.5 WDVE’s Morning Show. Dulac confirmed the internal strife was worse than expected.

“It was so bad that they made the move right now and didn’t even wait till later. The litany of violations apparently were endless. I remember one of the players telling me last year during the season that the people internally don’t even realize half the violations that he commits,” Dulac said.

But despite the trouble he brings, his on-field talent remains undeniable. His first year with Dallas has yielded 105 catches, 1142 yards, and eight touchdowns. These numbers prove the Steelers weren’t trading away production lightly.

Yet, no amount of stats erased the simmering tension backstage, confirming the Steelers prioritized culture over raw talent. Still, the saga of Pickens in Pittsburgh sheds light on a broader problem: that Pickens’ departure barely calms the storm.