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Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst.

The Green Bay Packers need a reliable No. 1 wide receiver for their offense and could finally have an opportunity to circle back for Pittsburgh Steelers star George Pickens amid rumors about him hitting the NFL trade block in 2025.

The Packers will return wide receivers Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks for the 2025 season, but none among the quartet have produced consistently enough to lock into place as the go-to target for quarterback Jordan Love. Watson is also expected to miss the majority of next season rehabbing his torn ACL.

With that in mind, the Packers could break their mold and put forth an aggressive effort to land an experienced receiver for their 2025 offense, even if it means making a trade for a rising young NFL star like Pickens — as NFL.com’s Adam Rank projects they will.

“Pickens has been inconsistent, but the Steelers have also trotted out a wide assortment of quarterbacks during his first three seasons in the NFL,” Rank wrote. “Having him as the top target for, say, Jordan Love would be huge for Matt LaFleur’s Packers offense.

“The Steelers also get a chance to avoid an uncomfortable conversation with Pickens when the 2022 second-round pick’s contract is up at the end of the 2025 season.”

What Would Trade for George Pickens Cost Packers?

Pickens could be the missing piece for the Packers offense in 2025 if they believe the Steelers have not maximized his talent over the first three seasons of his NFL career.

Since entering the league in 2022, Pickens has averaged more than 16 yards per catch despite enduring long stretches of mediocre quarterback play with the Steelers. He put up a career-high 1,140 receiving yards in 2023 even as the team shifted between Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph and Mitch Trubisky. He has also shown he can play a high-volume role as a pass-catcher over the past two years, exceeding 100 targets in each.

The question, of course, is: How much would it take for the Packers to acquire him?

The Packers do not have multiple second- or third-round picks in 2025 as they have in the previous two offseasons, but they could consider offering up their lone second (No. 54 overall) to the Steelers to land Pickens. Then again, a second-rounder might too rich for their tastes with Pickens entering the final year of his rookie contract next season.

While Pickens carries a cap hit of just $3.87 million for the 2025 season, he will need a new contract to stick around beyond the upcoming campaign like Doubs and Watson.

How much Pickens will cost will ultimately depend on how well he plays during the 2025 season, but Spotrac’s calculated market value projects he could sign a four-year deal worth roughly $94.2 million — $23.6 million annually — after his rookie contract.

As such, the Packers are more likely to agree to a trade for Pickens if it involves them sending a conditional third-rounder pick to the Steelers, one that awards the Steelers a second-rounder if — and only if — Pickens remains on their roster for the 2026 season.

Packers Will Have WR Options Available in Free Agency

If trading for Pickens is not in the cards, the Packers should still have plenty of viable options available when the NFL’s legal tampering period officially begins on March 10.

Cincinnati Bengals superstar Tee Higgins would certainly solve their veteran receiver problems, but he could cost as much as $30 million annually and might not make it to free agency if the Bengals work to sign him to an extension in the next eight days.

If Higgins is out of play, the Packers could also consider making a move for Tampa Bay Buccaneers star Chris Godwin; though, he did just turn 29 on February 27.

Otherwise, the top of the free-agent wide receiver market consists primarily of talent above the age of 30. Stefon Diggs, Amari Cooper, DeAndre Hopkins, Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are all pending free agents who have played the No. 1 receiver role in the past, but the Packers would need to carefully weigh the cost of signing one of them, knowing he would not have the same runway left in his career as Higgins or Godwin.

Jordan J. Wilson is a sports reporter who covers the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers. He has previously covered all levels of sports — high school, college and pro — for a variety of publications including The Indianapolis Star, The News-Gazette, Springfield State-Journal Register and Peoria Journal Star. More about Jordan J. Wilson

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