After posting 1,100 yards and five touchdowns in 2023 despite a terrible situation at quarterback, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens was expected to take that next step after the team seemingly upgraded the quarterback position during the offseason.
Unfortunately, things haven't exactly gone according to plan. Russell Wilson, who was named the starter to begin the season, has missed each of the first five games because of a calf injury.
In his stead, Justin Fields has gotten the nod under center, but Pittsburgh's offense has not exactly thrived with him at the helm. The Steelers sport the sixth-worst passing attack in the NFL, and the seventh-worst scoring offense.
As you'd expect, that has impacted Pickens. He has 310 scoreless receiving yards in five games and is actually on pace to finish with fewer yards than he did last season.
Making matters worse, Pickens saw a career-low number of snaps in Week 5 (34) and actually played fewer snaps and ran less routes than both Van Jefferson and Calvin Austin.
Head coach Mike Tomlin said Pickens' significant drop in snaps was a result of the team taking a "snap management" approach, with the hope it would lead to increased productivity.
That was a bizarre explanation, to say the least, especially when you consider how bad the Steelers' wide receivers situation is behind Pickens, and with the fact that Pickens played 60 snaps the week prior and had a season-best showing, tallying seven catches for 113 yards.
George Pickens fantasy football outlook
Another potential concern for Pickens is the Steelers' interest in adding a wideout. Depending on the caliber of player they add, such a move could siphon targets — he's averaging 7.2 per game — away from him.
However, an addition at the position could also work in Pickens' favor, as defenses won't be able to key in on him as much as they can now with the Georgia product being far and away the biggest threat in Pittsburgh's passing attack.
As bad as things seem right now, there is still hope for the Steelers wideout, and that comes in the form of Russell Wilson.
While Fields has been serviceable enough to help the Steelers to a 3-2 start, he isn't quite the passer Wilson is. The veteran signal-caller throws a better deep ball and is more accurate, which could lead to better and more consistent production for Pickens once he enters the lineup.
When that happens remains to be seen, though. Wilson ramped up his participation in practice last week and appears to be close to returning. He told NBC's Melissa Stark on Sunday that he should be ready to go in Week 6.
But it's unclear if the Steelers will make the switch back to Wilson right away once he's cleared. That was once thought to be out of the question when the Steelers were sporting a 3-0 record, but after losing two straight games, it's far more possible than it was.
The fact of the matter is, the Steelers' offense has been underwhelming, with the team scoring 20 points or less in four of five games. That isn't all on Fields, but the Steelers would be wise to at least see if Wilson can provide a spark.
Of course, you're holding on to Pickens, as he's still the No. 1 wide receiver in that offense, and not all hope is lost yet. But, barring a desperation situation because of injuries or bye weeks, he shouldn't be in lineups for the time being, even if Wilson plays in Week 6.
