The Steelers Wide Receiver Cycle
What’s in the water in Pittsburgh? Or maybe the pierogies? Why do the Steelers keep finding these diamonds in the middle rounds of the draft? How do they do it? And why do almost all of them turn into divas who then leave and become a shell of themselves? My previous comic on the matter in 2021 was about Chase Claypool. Raise your hand if you know where Chase Claypool is now without looking it up first. Trick question, he’s nowhere. He got traded to the Bears, did nothing, signed with Miami, did nothing, signed with Buffalo, got hurt, and never saw the field in 2024. Before him? JuJu Smith-Schuster. Schuster was pretty good, but also did stupid social media shit. He left, joined the Chiefs, and won a Super Bowl. You’d be forgiven for not remembering he was on that team though. He’s still with the Chiefs at this time, and nobody cares. Schuster, of course, was the big replacement for Antonio Brown, one of the biggest crash outs we’ve ever seen. A 6th round pick who turned into the best WR in the league for a couple seasons, got his head rocked, and went nuts. During this more recent period, there was also Diontae Johnson, who was never a massive star but was still good, then traded, and now just exists. Before Antonio Brown there was Emmanuel Sanders, who was probably the last time a WR left and stayed good.
I looked up the history of Pittsburgh’s wide receiver coach position under Tomlin, curious if maybe there is a longtime associate there who might be a genius at developing these guys into productive diva dipshits. Nope. There hasn’t been enough consistency at that spot to say so. Tomlin himself must be the problem. He must do a crack job of getting these guys to excell, but he must do a poor job of reigning them in. It’s like he unlocks their asshole genes.
George Pickens is now the latest in the line. Pickens has honestly been a headcase his entire career so the diva stuff isn’t actually Pittsburgh’s fault, but it is odd to see them trade him away for peanuts to the Cowboys. He must be a massive tool in the locker room, because the Steelers aren’t exactly thriving at the position. They traded for DK Metcalf, who is already a bit of a headcase, and they do not have a QB at this moment except for Mason Rudolph (Rodgers may still sign). DK Metcalf shouldn’t count in this cycle since Pittsburgh didn’t draft him, but don’t be surprised if he stays a star, is a dipshit, and gets dropped in two seasons and turns into a pumpkin.
If the cycle continues organically though, I think the player we have to look at is Roman Wilson. Drafted in the 3rd round in 2024, he missed most of last year with injury. If the Steelers are going to keep this nonsense up he’s the guy who is going to do it. So watch out, NFL. Roman Wilson is about to drag the Steelers offense into the playoffs for a first round exit again, and in 2027 they will trade him to the Saints or some shit and he vanishes from our collective memory.
I think Pickens will be generally irrelevant for Dallas. Probably have a couple games of impact, but otherwise annoy people or vanish.
Definitely feel like it’s a case of Steelers drafting WRs who fall because of the character issues and then Mike Tomlin keeps them under control as long as possible and then trades them away for the next draft pick lol.
That said as a Steelers fan I’m ok with the trade as there was no way the Steelers could afford what Pickens would want to be paid and he may have even held out
I’m surprised you didn’t mention the OG Steelers WR crashout, Plaxico Burress. (Plus there was Santonio Holmes after him & before Emmanuel Sanders)
Juju was the exception to me, like Sanders. He had a 1000 yard season with the Chiefs that year, and unfortunately his knees haven’t been the same since. He also earned a second contract with the Steelers before running into cap space issues.