Art Rooney II: George Pickens has talent, have to work to fulfill it

Steelers wide receiver George Pickens is eligible for a contract extension this offseason and his future in Pittsburgh was among the topics Steelers president Art Rooney II addressed in a session with reporters on Monday.

Pickens is the team's top wideout, but his 2024 season saw him miss time due to injury, show flashes of frustration on and off the field and reportedly show up late for the team's Christmas game. Pickens capped the year by saying he wasn't optimistic about the direction of the offense, which led to head coach Mike Tomlin saying that the wideout has room to grow up.

Rooney echoed that feeling and said that he's hopeful Pickens "realizes the potential that he has" as a player.

"Every team seems to have one or two guys in that room who you have to manage correctly," Rooney said, via the team's website. "I still think George has enough talent that we've got to try to work and see if we can get him to fulfill the talent that he really has. Who knows if we can get there? We'll see. But when you have guys who are as talented as some of the guys you're probably thinking of, you try to work with them and have them help you be successful."

Rooney's comments suggest the Steelers won't be racing to get a new contract done. Given his comments about the offense, Pickens may not be in a great hurry either but any lack of alignment could be fodder for further frustrations in 2025.