PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Pittsburgh Steelers

Aaron Rodgers may think twice about ing Steelers as George Pickens trade could be concerning sign

Pittsburgh still has a massive question mark at quarterback, but Rodgers isn't in any rush.

Are the Pittsburgh Steelers tanking after the George Pickens trade?
Are the Pittsburgh Steelers tanking after the George Pickens trade?LAPRESSE

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been one of the most consistent and logical franchises in the NFL in recent times, especially since Mike Tomlin took over as head coach in 2007. Although they've only won one Super Bowl since then, Pittsburgh has finished at .500 or over in every one of those seasons and made the playoffs in 12 of them. Their model of consistency is a source of envy for other franchises.

But this offseason has fans wondering if it's all coming undone. After going 10-7 in each of the past two seasons, the Steelers were expected to make some key moves this offseason, particularly at the quarterback position. It looked like they were going all in by trading for DK Metcalf, with Aaron Rodgers the likely solution at quarterback. But on Wednesday, the team traded away divisive wide receiver George Pickens. There's also nothing of note going on with Rodgers, who still hasn't made up his mind on whether he wants to play or not.

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Ryan Clark doesn't think Steelers are a playoff team, which means Aaron Rodgers might not want to

But it's not just the Pickens and Rodgers situations that has some former Steelers very concerned about the team: it's the state of the roster as a whole. Ryan Clark, who spent eight seasons with the team and seven with Tomlin, doesn't like what's seen this offseason.

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It sounds like they're tanking. I know they are, because they've made other moves. When you look at this roster, this roster can't compete to have a winning season. This roster can't compete to be a playoff team... It's not only about what the roster looks like, it's the way that they're moving and maneuvering around building this roster.

By getting rid of Pickens, the team is now back to having a big question mark at wide receiver. Calvin Austin, Robert Woods and Roman Wilson are the players expected to complement Metcalf. They're also relying on Mason Rudolph and Will Howard to battle for the starting quarterback spot, unless Rodgers makes up his mind.

The roster isn't bad as a whole, but it's fair to agree with Clark that they simply aren't good enough to compete for anything serious in 2025. Considering that they don't have a lot of money invested in the quarterback position like most other teams, it feels like a wasted opportunity to not have made bigger moves this offseason.

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