Booger McFarland lays out decision Steelers have with George Pickens after signing DK Metcalf

The Pittsburgh Steelers made a monster move on Sunday night, reportedly inking former Seattle Seahawks star DK Metcalf to a monster deal. And immediately the questions about what that means for fellow receiver George Pickens began.

Pickens has long been a No. 1 receiver, but that designation will almost certainly fall to Metcalf following the trade. What will the Steelers do with Pickens?

One NFL analyst raised a good point. Booger McFarland chimed in, essentially laying out two paths with reasoning why.

“Pittsburgh either needs to move Pickens or pay him,” McFarland wrote on Twitter. “If anyone thinks he isn’t gonna be disgruntled when the guy in the room just got 150 [million, you] are mistaken.”

George Pickens, who is coming up on the fourth year of his rookie contract, is set to make $3.41 million in base salary in 2025, according to Spotrac. That’s a huge gap from the $30 million per year Metcalf will be getting, despite comparable production of late.

In fact, the two had remarkably similar production last season. Close enough to be indistinguishable.

Metcalf tallied 66 catches for 992 yards and five touchdowns playing for the Seahawks. Meanwhile, starring for the Steelers, Pickens had 59 catches for 900 yards and three touchdowns.

In three seasons, Pickens has logged 174 catches for 2,841 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has played in 48 games in that span.

Needless to say, the potential for some bad blood in the room based on earnings is clearly there. It’s something McFarland seems concerned about, given his tweet about George Pickens on Sunday night following the Metcalf trade.

Will Pittsburgh renegotiate with George Pickens as he heads into the fourth year of his deal? Or will the Steelers trust coach Mike Tomlin to handle a potentially difficult situation in the team’s locker room, something he’s done remarkably well numerous times in his career? We shall see.