The Steelers may have stumbled upon the perfect solution to the George Pickens injury issue.

On Tuesday, it became apparent that George Pickens is going to miss an extended amount of time.

With the Pittsburgh Steelers facing their toughest stretch of the season in the next three weeks, Pickens’ injury couldn’t have come at a worse time.

But the waiving of a WR prior to Tomlin’s update on Pickens could soften the blow of his absence if Pittsburgh makes a move:

Patriots Waive WR K.J. Osborn

The #Patriots and WR KJ Osborn are mutually parting ways, as he heads to waivers with the opportunity to latch on with another team.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 10, 2024

“The injury did show up on MRI and is a little bit more significant than what we imagined, and so we’re just in the mindset now, just getting him healthy as quickly as we possibly can,” said HC Mike Tomlin when updating the status of WR George Pickens. “There’s a potential for this week, but it’s an outside chance. If you press me, I’d probably say he’s out, or could be characterized as doubtful as we sit here. But again, like we always do, we’ll go through normal procedure. We’ll let participation be our guide in terms of availability, and then obviously the quality of that participation.”

It’s a huge blow to a 10-3 Steelers team that has a chance to clinch a playoff birth with a win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, and a chance to win the division with a win over the Baltimore Ravens in two weeks.

So for the time being, they need help on the perimeter, and a WR with a season that includes over 650 receiving yards and seven TDs on his resume at only 27 years old could be that help.

Osborn played the duration of his rookie contract with the Minnesota Vikings before joining the New England Patriots this offseason.

He and the Patriots decided it was best to mutually part ways, as Osborn searches for a home on a playoff contender.

That contender may be a team in the black and gold.