Recreating George Pickens in the Aggregate?

by Griffin Floyd

The question makes the rounds with talk show hosts and columnists year after year as NFL pundits debate whether it’s worth it for teams to invest long term in the position—one of the most physically taxing in an already brutal sport—or to cycle through a series of young, cheap draft picks and bargain bin veterans in a committee approach. The 2017 Philadelphia Eagles, for instance, won the Super Bowl with five running backs making barely $3 million combined. Despite a negligible price tag, they pooled together to pick up more than 2,100 yards. In a twist of irony, that success helped spark a run of think pieces about the future of the running back position.

For a team like the Pittsburgh Steelers, facing stagnation after more than eight years without a playoff win, it’s time to shake things up and try that same committee approach at wide receiver. With 22 of their 53 roster spots set to hit unrestricted free agents when the new league year begins at 4 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, March 12, the Steelers’ $40.7 million in cap space will evaporate in a blink. And with $177 million of the $275 million salary cap already poured into their defense, Pittsburgh needs to find ways to cut corners on the other side of the ball.

The Steelers have shown the ability to identify, draft and develop receiving talent throughout the 21st century. At this point it’s a feature, not a bug. With contract decisions looming on players like George Pickens—and after the 2024 offseason, filled to bursting trade talk regarding San Francisco 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk—the Steelers should try a cheaper approach rather than breaking the bank for mercurial talents.

In this offense-focused era of football, it’s easier than ever to scheme receivers open using play elements like Run-Pass Options, rub routes and spread formations. Even if schemed wide open, teams still need capable receivers who can catch the ball, but why shell out the big bucks when teams can obtain a sizable chunk of the production for a fraction of the price?

The comparison between running backs and wide receivers might seem novel—a strong offensive line can turn a mediocre running back into a pro bowler, while the same isn’t exactly true of receivers—but it’s an idea already gaining traction in the NFL. The Kansas City Chiefs shipped all-world receiver Tyreek Hill out of town following the 2021 season, immediately won the next two Super Bowls, and had a chance to make it a three-peat. Hill picked up 1,239 receiving yards in 2021 on a contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $18 million. Kansas City’s leading wide receiver in 2022, JuJu Smith-Schuster, logged 933 yards on a contract with an AAV of $3.76 million (along with a series of incentives designed to limit his cap hit or postpone it to the following season if met). That is to say, Smith-Schuster accounted for 75.3 percent of Hill’s production for 20.8 percent of the price tag.

To be sure, Arthur Smith and Justin Fields aren’t Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, but George Pickens isn’t Tyreek Hill either. As the Steelers look to build a roster that stays under the salary cap and consider whether to sign Pickens to a long-term deal or swing a trade for a big name at receiver, they should keep the Chiefs’ model in mind.