NFL · 1 hour ago

Steelers Casualties: 9 Wide Receivers That Didn’t Stick Around

Grant White - SportsGrid

Host · Writer

George Pickens
The latest wide receiver to be traded away, George Pickens, was sent to the Dallas Cowboys for a third-round pick. The Georgia product was integral to the Steelers' passing attack, churning out 2,841 yards over three seasons. Undoubtedly, Pittsburgh will use the third-round pick to select its next movable wide receiver in the 2026 NFL Draft.

George Pickens's Career NFL Stats
- Games played: 65
- Receptions: 267
- Receiving Yards: 4,270
- Touchdowns: 21
Pittsburgh Steelers Wide Receiver Casualties
The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a rotating door in their wide receivers room. Never shy to draft a top pass-catcher early, the Steelers are quick to move on from their receivers to command maximum return via the trade market or let them walk in free agency.

These are the wide receivers the Steelers have moved on from early in their careers.
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Back in 2017, the Steelers drafted JuJu Smith-Schuster in the second round of the NFL Draft. Smith-Schuster spent five productive seasons in Pittsburgh. The USC product totaled 3,855 receiving yards and 26 touchdowns in the Steel City while churning out just 1,164 yards and five touchdowns in the three seasons since. The Steelers let Smith-Schuster walk after his rookie contract expired.

JuJu Smith-Schuster's Career NFL Stats
- Games played: 121
- Receptions: 481
- Receiving Yards: 5,624
- Touchdowns: 33
Diontae Johnson
As part of the trade that sent Antonio Brown to the Las Vegas Raiders, the Steelers acquired a third-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. They used that selection to draft Diontae Johnson 66th overall. Johnson accumulated 4,363 yards and 25 touchdowns in five seasons in Pittsburgh in 77 games. Last offseason, the Steelers traded Johnson to the Carolina Panthers for cornerback Donte Jackson and a sixth-round pick. Johnson would split the 2024 season between three teams, failing to replicate his success with the Steelers.

Diontae Johnson's Career NFL Stats
- Games played: 90
- Receptions: 424
- Receiving Yards: 4,738
- Touchdowns: 28
Santonio Holmes
The Steelers moved on from Santonio Holmes at the pinnacle of his career. Following his 1,248 receiving yard campaign in 2009, Pittsburgh dealt the wideout to the New York Jets for a fifth-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. Eventually, the Steelers would flip that pick to the Arizona Cardinals, using the acquired sixth-round pick to nab Antonio Brown.

Santonio Holmes's Career NFL Stats
- Games played: 112
- Receptions: 389
- Receiving Yards: 6,030
- Touchdowns: 36
Plaxico Burress
Another 4,000-yard receiver in Pittsburgh, Plaxico Burress, would walk from the Steelers after his rookie contract ended in 2004. Burress would go on to shoot his shot with the New York Giants, hauling in the game-winning touchdown pass in Super Bowl XLII.

Plaxico Burress's Career NFL Stats
- Games played: 148
- Receptions: 553
- Receiving Yards: 8,499
- Touchdowns: 64
Mike Wallace
Arguably, Mike Wallace was one of the most successful wide receivers to continue his career after he left the Steelers. The Ole Miss Rebels alum put up 4,042 receiving yards across four seasons in the Steel City. He would go on to total 4,030 yards across the next five seasons, split between the Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, and Baltimore Ravens.

Mike Wallace's Career NFL Stats
- Games played: 144
- Receptions: 538
- Receiving Yards: 8,072
- Touchdowns: 57
Emmanuel Sanders
It took Emmanuel Sanders a few years to get going, but he became a staple of the Steelers' offense in 2014 and 2015. Following his rookie contract, Sanders was one of the most sought-after wide receivers in free agency. He would ink a deal with the Denver Broncos, posting three consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns before fading into the twilight of his career.

Emmanuel Sanders's Career NFL Stats
- Games played: 172
- Receptions: 704
- Receiving Yards: 9,245
- Touchdowns: 51
Antonio Brown
The longest tenured wide receiver of the bunch, Antonio Brown, spent nine All-Pro caliber seasons in the Steel City. As is usually the case, Pittsburgh's brass knew exactly when to move on from Brown, trading him ahead of the 2019 season. Brown's off-field antics would derail a once-promising career, with the wide receiver playing just 16 games across three more seasons.

Antonio Brown's Career NFL Stats
- Games played: 146
- Receptions: 928
- Receiving Yards: 12,291
- Touchdowns: 83
Chase Claypool
A second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Chase Claypool had one of the shortest tenures with the Steelers. Pittsburgh moved on from Claypool after just two and a half seasons, recuperating the second-round pick they used to get him from the Chicago Bears. Often criticized for his lack of effort, Claypool hasn't played in the NFL since 2023.

Chase Claypool's Career NFL Stats
- Games played: 58
- Receptions: 175
- Receiving Yards: 2,261
- Touchdowns: 13
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George Pickens
The latest wide receiver to be traded away, George Pickens, was sent to the Dallas Cowboys for a third-round pick. The Georgia product was integral to the Steelers' passing attack, churning out 2,841 yards over three seasons. Undoubtedly, Pittsburgh will use the third-round pick to select its next movable wide receiver in the 2026 NFL Draft.

George Pickens's Career NFL Stats
- Games played: 65
- Receptions: 267
- Receiving Yards: 4,270
- Touchdowns: 21
Pittsburgh Steelers Wide Receiver Casualties
The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a rotating door in their wide receivers room. Never shy to draft a top pass-catcher early, the Steelers are quick to move on from their receivers to command maximum return via the trade market or let them walk in free agency.

These are the wide receivers the Steelers have moved on from early in their careers.