Wide receiver George Pickens may no longer be on the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he appears to still be causing plenty of drama around western Pennsylvania.
The latest drama from the receiver stems from a message he sent to safety Minkah Fitzpatrick through an Instagram story on Monday. After the Steelers traded Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins, Pickens congratulated the safety for going “back to” a beautiful place.
“Super happy for you broski !!!!! Back to beautiful places in life lol,” wrote Pickens.
NFL fans could interpret Pickens’ reference to “beautiful places” in a few different ways.
“Pickens and Fitzpatrick are now in warmer climates, and Miami is regarded as a “beautiful” city, but it’s worth wondering if Pickens’ message had more meaning behind it than just geography,” wrote Steelers Depot’s Alex Kozora.
Not that Pittsburgh is comparable to Miami, but at the very least, Pickens seemed to imply, in some form or fashion, that Pittsburgh isn’t a beautiful place.
The Steelers shipped Fitzpatrick to the Dolphins for cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith. The deal also included two draft picks.
On May 7, the Steelers sent Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys. Pittsburgh agreed to ship a 2027 seventh-round choice to Dallas as well. In exchange, the Steelers received a 2026 third-round pick and 2027 fifth-rounder.
George Pickens Trolls Steelers After Minkah Fitzpatrick Trade?
While Kozora and others identified Pickens’ Instagram post as “cryptic,” some saw it as a direct insult at the Steelers.
“The shot was a bit tongue-in-cheek, but it did show some disdain for his time in Pittsburgh and eagerness to get a fresh start,” wrote Cowboys on SI’s Josh Sanchez.
“[Pickens] took the opportunity to congratulate Fitzpatrick on Instagram, and he made sure to lay it on pretty thick as a veiled shot at his old team,” wrote Steelers Wire’s Curt Popejoy.
Both writers, though, also indicated Pickens’ message is another sign the team made the right choice to trade him. Pickens has significant maturity issues. He will also be a free agent next offseason.
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