Statistically, George Pickens suits the profile of a participant a group ought to need to signal long run earlier than the expiration of his rookie contract. He has averaged 58 receptions, 947 yards receiving and 4 touchdowns throughout his three NFL seasons. Pickens led the NFL with 18.1 yards per catch in 2023 when he had his only one,000-yard receiving season (1,140).
The Pittsburgh Steelers opted to commerce the equal of a second-round choose to the Seattle Seahawks for extensive receiver DK Metcalf in March. Metcalf obtained a four-year contract extension, averaging practically $33 million per yr, in reference to the commerce the place $60 million was totally assured at signing.
The Steelers had reservations about Pickens due to his perspective and immaturity. Pickens and a 2027 sixth-round choose had been dealt to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2026 third-round choose and a 2027 fifth-round choose in Might.
The grass hasn’t all the time been greener on the opposite facet when extensive receivers go away Pittsburgh. A number of extensive receivers have had their careers take a downward spiral after enjoying for the Steelers.
The massive exception to this Pittsburgh extensive receiver curse is Emmanuel Sanders. The perfect seasons of Sanders’ NFL profession got here after he left the Steelers in 2014 free company for the Denver Broncos. Sanders had profession highs of 101 receptions, 1,404 yards receiving and 9 touchdowns in 2014. It was the primary of three straight seasons the place Sanders had at the least 75 receptions and 1,000 yards receiving.
Pickens appears to be embracing his change of surroundings. “It was good for me,” Pickens lately instructed NFL Media’s Jane Slater. “Simply strictly as a result of, you understand, if you’re someplace lengthy and also you construct a sure document, a sure label — whether or not that is good, nice, or dangerous — you simply desire a recent begin. That is how I really feel like it’s with lots of people in life.”
Ideally, CeeDee Lamb and Pickens will type the perfect extensive receiver duo the Cowboys have had because the 2020 and 2021 seasons when Lamb was paired with Amari Cooper. If all goes properly and Pickens is on his greatest habits, he might be in line for a multiyear contract with Dallas or in free company in extra of $25 million per yr. An lack of ability by Pickens to be taught from his Pittsburgh expertise might imply a one-year “prove-it” deal in 2026.
Here is a take a look at the extensive receivers because the 2011 lockout ended who have not thrived after leaving the Steelers.
Each Brown and the Steelers had been prepared to maneuver on after the 2018 season. Brown was angling for more cash and had a deteriorating relationship with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers had been tiring of Brown’s antics. Skipping conferences and practices previous to a must-win regular-season finale with playoff implications led to teach Mike Tomlin benching Brown.
After killing a commerce to the Buffalo Payments, Brown was dealt to the Oakland (now Las Vegas) Raiders in March 2019 for 2019 third- and fifth-round picks. The commerce compensation was surprisingly low for a participant of Brown’s caliber. Brown earned first-team All-Professional honors for 4 straight years (2014 by way of 2017) and had six consecutive seasons with at the least 100 receptions and 1,000 yards receiving. Throughout this span, Brown averaged (rounded to the closest entire quantity) 114 receptions, 1,524 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns. He led within the NFL in receptions twice (2014 and 2015), receiving yards twice (2014 and 2017) and landing catches as soon as (2018).
As a part of the commerce, Brown received an upgraded contract. He obtained an $11.2 million elevate over the three remaining years of the four-year, $68 million extension he signed with the Steelers in 2017. He was scheduled to make $50.125 million over the three years with the potential of a further $4 million by way of incentives for max of $54.125 million. The adjusted contract had $30.125 million totally assured.
The honeymoon between Brown and the Raiders did not final lengthy. Brown left coaching camp for a number of days due to an lack of ability to put on an outdated helmet now not accepted for NFL use and to proceed recovering from a cryotherapy chamber mishap earlier than coaching camp opened that broken his ft, though he was cleared for observe. The ultimate straw was a verbal altercation with then-Raiders common supervisor Mike Mayock a few days earlier than the regular-season opener. The Raiders voided the remaining $29.125 million of wage ensures in Brown’s contract and promptly launched him.
Hours after being launched by the Raiders, Brown signed one-year, $10.5 million deal price as much as $15 million by way of incentives with the New England Patriots. Brown shortly wore out his welcome. He was launched two video games into his Patriots tenure due to a number of sexual misconduct allegations and disparaging remarks on X (previously Twitter) about Patriots proprietor Robert Kraft.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Brown to an incentive-laden, one-year deal price as much as $2.5 million in the course of the center of the 2020 season after he served an eight-game suspension for violating the NFL’s private conduct coverage. Brown returned to the Buccaneers on a one-year, $4 million deal price a most of $6.25 million with incentives in 2021. The 2010 All-Decade group member’s NFL profession got here to an abrupt finish late within the 2021 season when he walked out in the course of the center of a Week 17 sport versus the New York Jets, eradicating his uniform and shoulder pads earlier than leaving the sphere.
Brown’s justification was the Buccaneers had been pressuring him to play by way of an ankle harm and freezing him out of the offense to forestall him from incomes his incentives. Throughout the 2020 regular-season finale, quarterback Tom Brady made positive Antonio Brown had his most efficient sport since becoming a member of the Buccaneers to earn a few of his incentive cash.
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Johnson bounced round in the course of the 2024 season. The Steelers traded Johnson and a 2024 seventh-round choose to the Carolina Panthers for cornerback Donte Jackson and a 2024 sixth-round choose after a drama-filled 2023 season.
Johnson, who voiced his frustration with being on an uncompetitive one-win Panthers group, was dealt together with a 2025 sixth-round choose to the Baltimore Ravens for a 2025 fifth-round choose eight video games into the 2024 season. He was Carolina’s main go catcher on the time with 30 receptions for 357 yards with three touchdowns within the seven video games he performed with the Panthers.
Johnson had a shorter stint in Baltimore. He was suspended one sport for conduct detrimental to the group after refusing to play in a Week 13 contest in opposition to the Philadelphia Eagles. The Ravens excused him from group actions in Week 15 earlier than releasing him a number of days later. Johnson had one catch for six yards in 4 video games with the Ravens.
The Houston Texans claimed Johnson off waivers after extensive receiver Tank Dell’s Week 16 season-ending knee harm. Johnson shortly wore out his welcome in Houston. Reportedly inflicting a scene after receiving restricted enjoying time within the Texans’ wild card playoff sport win over the Los Angeles Chargers prompted Johnson’s launch. Though Johnson had an expiring contract, the Ravens claimed him off waivers since he was going to issue into the 2026 compensatory draft choose system as a departing free agent.
Had Johnson dealt with the 2024 season in a extra skilled method moderately than burning a number of bridges, he could have been in line for a deal in the identical neighborhood as his expiring two-year, $36.71 million contract extension, averaging $18.355 million per yr, signed in the course of the 2022 preseason. Profession bests of 107 catches for 1,161 yards with eight touchdowns in 2021 led to the extension.
As a substitute, Johnson languished on the open market till early Might when the Cleveland Browns signed him to a one-year deal at his $1.17 million league-minimum wage. The Browns launched Johnson within the Aug. 26 roster cutdown to 53 gamers and he is at the moment unemployed.
Workforce MVP honors had been achieved in a 2018 season of 111 catches for 1,426 yards with seven touchdowns whereas Brown was the point of interest of opposing defenses. As soon as Smith-Schuster’s rookie contract expired following 97 receptions for a pedestrian 8.6 yards per catch in 2020, he returned to the Steelers on a one-year “prove-it” deal price $8 million due to tepid curiosity throughout free company. He was reportedly searching for greater than $15 million per yr on the open market.
Smith-Schuster wasn’t proving very a lot when a left shoulder harm sidelined him for the 2021 common season after 5 video games. He had 15 receptions for 129 yards with none touchdowns in these video games.
There was much less curiosity in Smith-Schuster throughout 2022 free company than in 2021. He signed a one-year, $3.76 million contract with the Chiefs price as much as $11.26 million by way of incentives. Smith had his greatest season since leaving the Steelers in 2022 when caught 78 passes for 933 yards with three touchdowns in 16 video games because the Chiefs gained Tremendous Bowl LVII.
An enormous payday in free company as soon as once more eluded Smith-Schuster. He signed a three-year, $25.5 million deal price as much as $33 million by way of incentives with the Patriots as an unrestricted free agent in March 2023. Solely 29 catches for 260 yards with one landing in 2023 led to Smith-Schuster’s launch from the Patriots throughout coaching camp final yr.
Since Smith-Schuster’s $7 million 2024 base wage was totally assured when he signed with the Patriots, he took a one-year deal at his $1.21 million league minimal wage to return to Kansas Metropolis. He had a a lot smaller function in his second stint with the Chiefs. Smith-Schuster had 18 receptions, 231 yards receiving and two touchdowns. He’s again with the Chiefs on one other one-year deal for $1,422,500 this time round.
Claypool earned All-Rookie honors in 2020 after profession bests of 62 receptions, 873 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns (9 receiving and two speeding). The Steelers felt snug dealing Claypool to the Chicago Bears on the 2022 commerce deadline for a 2023 second-round choose (thirty second total) due to Johnson’s extension and Pickens shortly rising as a rookie.
Claypool was a serious disappointment with the Bears earlier than he was traded together with a 2025 seventh-round choose to the Miami Dolphins for a 2025 sixth-round choose early within the 2023 season. There have been points with Claypool’s effort and perspective whereas in Chicago. Within the 10 video games Claypool performed for the Bears, he caught 18 passes for 191 yards with one landing. His 9 video games with the Dolphins had been much less productive. He had 4 catches for 26 yards. Claypool signed a one-year, $1.225 million take care of the Payments in 2024 after his rookie contract expired. He was launched in the course of the preseason and hasn’t signed one other NFL contract.
Bryant confirmed promise as a big-play risk throughout his first two NFL seasons earlier than his yearlong suspension in 2016 for violating the NFL’s substance abuse coverage. He averaged 17.3 yards per catch on 76 receptions previous to the suspension. Sad along with his function in Pittsburgh’s offense, Bryant requested a commerce in the course of the 2017 season. He had 50 catches for 803 yards with three touchdowns in 2017.
Bryant received his want in 2018. He was dealt to the Raiders for a 2018 third-round choose. Dealing with one other suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse coverage, the Raiders launched Bryant just a few days earlier than the beginning of the common season. Bryant was subsequently re-signed and allowed to play whereas his enchantment of the suspension was pending. He had 19 catches for 266 yards in eight video games when he was suspended indefinitely with three video games left within the season.
Bryant wasn’t reinstated by commissioner Roger Goodell till the center of the 2023 season. He was shortly signed by the Cowboys to the observe squad for the rest of the season. Bryant signed a one-year contract with the Cowboys for his $1.125 million league-minimum wage after the season. The Cowboys launched Bryant in Might 2024. The Washington Commanders signed Bryant in the course of the 2024 preseason for league-minimum wage and launched him on the roster cutdown.
Wallace earned the one Professional Bowl berth of his profession in 2011 because of 72 receptions for 1,193 yards with eight touchdowns. It was Wallace’s second straight 1,000-yard receiving season. He had 60 receptions a career-high 1,257 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns in 2010. His career-best 21.0 yards per catch had been second within the NFL. As a rookie, Wallace led the league with 19.4 yards per catch in 2009.
A contract dispute as a restricted free agent in 2012 was the start of the top for Wallace in Pittsburgh. As soon as there was a contract deadlock with Wallace the place he rejected a five-year, $50 million deal, the Steelers gave Brown a five-year, $41.96 million extension as a substitute. Wallace did not signal his $2.742 million RFA tender till the top of August.
Wallace cashed in throughout 2013 free company. He signed a five-year, $60 million contract with the Dolphins. There have been $30 million of ensures the place $27 million was totally assured at signing. The deal made Wallace the NFL’s fourth-highest-paid extensive receiver at $12 million per yr.
Wallace by no means lived as much as his contract. The Dolphins traded Wallace (and a 2015 seventh-round choose) after two seasons to the Minnesota Vikings for a 2015 fifth-round choose in March 2015. His greatest marks with the Dolphins had been in 2013 when he had 73 catches for 930 yards and 5 touchdowns. The Vikings launched Wallace in March 2016. He had 39 catches and 473 yards throughout his solely season in Minnesota.
Wallace’s most efficient season after leaving the Steelers was in 2016 when he had 72 receptions, 1,017 yards receiving and 4 touchdowns with the Ravens. His remaining NFL season was in 2018 with the Eagles the place he was restricted to 2 video games due to a damaged proper fibula.
