The Las Vegas Raiders are attempting to rebuild on the fly under the guidance of newly appointed general manager John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll. With several moves made to spearhead this effort, particularly acquiring Geno Smith from the Seattle Seahawks, the Raiders have checked several boxes of becoming a better functioning team.
But there are still positions that need addressing. Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens’ name has surfaced in trade rumors, further fueled by a cryptic Instagram story he posted on Tuesday.
Does George Pickens Want To Play For The Las Vegas Raiders?
The story featured a photo of Pickens with Tom Brady, a seemingly innocuous image of an on-field meeting from the 2024 season. However, the timing of the post raised eyebrows, given Brady’s recent involvement with the Las Vegas Raiders as a part-owner. He was also heavily involved in the Raiders’ search for a new head coach and general manager. This connection has led to speculation about a potential trade.
Brady has been a central figure in the Raiders recruiting effort. He made an appeal to get former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson as well as a controversial attempt to lure Matthew Stafford to Vegas. Both failed to deliver.
The Raiders are a team that could benefit from acquiring Pickens, as they are looking to bolster their wide receiver corps under a new leadership. However, it’s unlikely the Pittsburgh Steelers would trade Pickens within the AFC. Teams typically prefer to trade high-impact players to the opposite conference to minimize the frequency of facing them.