"2025 being the last year on his original Steelers contract, Pickens is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this March. After 92 catches, 1,420 yards, and nine touchdowns this year, plus whatever he tacks on in the finale, and his first Pro Bowl trip, Pickens will easily be the top option in next spring's WR market. He will have just turned 25 before the start of the new league year and avoided most of the character concerns from his Pittsburgh days while in Dallas."
"With Ja'Marr Chase just getting $40 million per year from the Bengals, and CeeDee Lamb and Justin Jefferson at $34-$35 million on their recent deals, a truly free market for Pickens is going to be rich. That he's only had the one breakout year in Dallas, compared to the instant and sustained success of those other guys, could bring down the price some. But it only takes one team willing to pay that amount to get a deal done, and someone usually is."
"Teams with starting quarterbacks still on cheap rookie deals, like the Bears, Giants, or Titans, would make lots of sense to chase Pickens. Or if veteran Mike Evans finally moves on from Tampa Bay, the Bucs may want to throw that money into a new franchise receiver. And that's just a quick, superficial sampling of potential suitors; plenty more can, and will, be there if Pickens is allowed on the open market."
George Pickens will become an unrestricted free agent in March after the final year of his Steelers contract. He posted 92 catches for 1,420 yards and nine touchdowns this season, earned a Pro Bowl nod, and turned 25 before the new league year. Comparisons to recent elite signings (Ja'Marr Chase $40M/year; CeeDee Lamb and Justin Jefferson $34–35M) suggest a rich market, though one breakout year could temper his price. Teams with young quarterbacks on rookie deals would be logical suitors. Dallas can use the franchise tag, with Over The Cap projecting about $28M for wide receivers.
Read at Blogging The Boys
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