Why AFC North playmaker and these four players need a change of scenery

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens is one of several players with an uncertain future ahead of the offseason.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist Joe Starkey recently wrote a lucid argument about why the Steelers should part ways with the three-year NFL veteran.

But Pickens isn’t the only player who could benefit from a change of scenery. Here are five players who might find greener pastures elsewhere in 2025.

Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill

Hill’s public trade request following the season could spark an eventful offseason in Miami. His agent later said the WR is committed to the team. but you know how these things go. 

Hill’s numbers dropped with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa missing six games. He recorded his fewest receptions (81) and receiving yards (959) since 2019, when he missed four games because of a shoulder injury.

Any team trading for Hill would owe the wideout his 2025 salary ($27.7 million), while the Dolphins would be responsible for his $28.3 million bonus money, which the team could split between the 2025 and 2026 seasons in a post-June 1 trade.

Several teams have the cap space to acquire Hill. Some of the more intriguing options are the Cardinals, Chargers and Patriots. Trading for the five-time first-team All-Pro would give each a higher ceiling than in 2024 and the Dolphins could accumulate draft picks to help Tagovailoa, arguably their most valuable asset.

Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins

General manager Terry Fontenot recently said the Falcons were “very comfortable” with carrying Cousins on the 2025 roster, but we’re skeptical. 

The Falcons would see the most savings with a post-June 1 Cousins trade, but cutting the veteran quarterback should still be on the table. He’s owed a $10 million roster bonus if he is on the roster on the fifth day of the 2025 league year (March 16). Funneling even more money into a lost cause would be bad business.

Saints wide receiver Chris Olave

New Orleans appears headed for a multi-year rebuild. The Saints could receive a hefty sum by trading Olave. The 2022 first-round pick missed the last eight games of the 2024 season (concussion) but has played like a star when healthy. ESPN Analytics ranked him as the fourth-best wide receiver in 2024.

Olave will soon be owed a lucrative extension, but his second contract should come from a team that can realistically contend for a championship.

Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett

In 2024, the veteran played his lowest percentage of offensive snaps (69.5 percent) since 2017, his third year in the league. Parting with Lockett, who is, by all accounts, beloved in the Seahawks locker room, would be difficult. But Seattle’s salary-cap position might leave it with few better options.

Per Over The Cap, the Seahawks are $27.45 million above the estimated 2025 salary cap. Lockett has the team’s third-highest cap number ($30.9 million). It would be a shame for the two to part, but the Seahawks need cap relief, and Lockett deserves more playing time than Seattle can offer.

Steelers wide receiver George Pickens

We circle back to where we began. The Pickens roller coaster in Pittsburgh has run its course. In a recent article, The Athletic’s Steelers reporter Mike DeFabo wrote that Pickens showed up late to the team’s Christmas Day home game against the Chiefs. That was followed by the capricious wideout verbally accosting fans during a Week 18 loss to the Bengals in which he had one reception, zero yards and three drops. Yikes.

Pickens is eligible for an extension this offseason, but the Steelers should make those negotiations someone else’s headache. Based on Pickens’ apparent dissatisfaction with the organization, he probably wouldn’t mind.