Full details of George Pickens' contract with Pittsburgh Steelers released
Once a consensus first round draft choice, former Georgia wide receiver George Pickens‘ NFL Draft stock took a plummet while recovering from a torn ACL, but only had to wait for the second round to hear his name called last month.
Being drafted with the 52nd overall pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pickens has now signed a four-year $6.752 million rookie deal alongside a $2.09 million signing bonus, according to Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson. The first two seasons are fully-guaranteed.
His salaries are as followed: $705,000 (fully guaranteed for skill, injury, salary cap), $1.011 million (fully guaranteed), $1.318 million, $1.625 million.
The former Georgia wideout went viral with his live reaction to his draft selection by the Steelers, which was well deserved after a long road to recovery. He detailed his reaction to getting picked once he arrived in Pittsburgh in the following days.
“I was really just thinking, ‘I’m glad to be a Steeler,’” Pickens said in an interview with Pittsburgh team reporter Missi Matthews. “It was all happening so fast, so like, I really couldn’t think too much. It was just a great feeling to be honest.
“After you get the call, it’s on from there. It was a pretty good experience, too.”
Pickens would only play 20 games for the Georgia Bulldogs, but still managed to haul in 85 passes for 1,240 yards (14.6 yards per catch) and 14 touchdowns. His injury ended his season before it started, but instead of taking an aggressive approach to rehab and return to action, the former Bulldogs wideout instead aired on the side of caution and only had five receptions on the season.
Throughout his three seasons with the Bulldogs, however, Pickens compiled 1,347 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns. Last season, Pickens helped bring a national title back to Athens for the first time in four decades when the Bulldogs defeated Alabama in the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship game.
Pickens is now placed in a high-pressure role, tasked with replacing some of the production left by the departures of former offensive stars JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Washington and Ray-Ray McCloud this offseason. Chase Claypool needs help out wide next season in Pittsburgh, and no matter who wins the quarterback battle come September, Pickens will be forced to step up early and often and prove why he was originally slated to be a top draft prospect early in his career.