The Pittsburgh Steelers are preparing for the 2024 regular season, but before the real games begin, the team has to head to training camp back at Saint Vincent College in order to fine tune their skills. As we here at SCN prepare you for the start of camp, we give you a series called “30 Scenarios in 30 Days” which gives you a Steelers scenario every day leading up to the start of camp.

It is simple how it works. We provide you the scenario, reasons why it will or won’t happen, and then our prediction for what we think will take place.

Let’s get to the scenario…

Scenario: George Pickens will have double-digit receiving TDs in 2024

Why it will happen: After spending his first two seasons where he was the second target behind Diontae Johnson, George Pickens is set to be the guy and wide receiver for the Steelers in 2024. Logging five touchdowns in 2023 and four in his rookie season of 2022, Pickens is ready to take on the responsibility of being the main target. Add in the Steelers only having 12 and 13 passing touchdowns in each of the last two seasons, Pickens still brought in a good percentage of receiving touchdowns. Additionally, Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson connected with his top receiver last season, Courtland Sutton, 10 times for scores. Putting all these things together has George Pickens prime for a breakout season in the touchdown department.

Why it won’t happen: There are several reasons why it will be difficult for George Pickens to get to double-digit touchdowns. First, if he’s the only viable threat at wide receiver for the Steelers he could constantly be facing maximum coverage, particularly when the Steelers get closer to the end zone. Additionally, the Steelers haven’t had a double-digit wide receiver since the 2018 season with Antonio Brown, and it’s been a decade since a different receiver hit double digits when Jericho Cotchery did it in 2013. And if the Steelers are going to be running the football as much as many think they are, there might not be a huge increase in passing touchdowns from the Steelers mark last season.

Prediction: As much as I would love to see George Pickens breakout and hit double-digit touchdowns this season, I think it’s a little bit too much of a jump for him to go from 5 to 10. Of course, this is assuming he is able to appear in every game this season which is always a factor when it comes to receiver stats. But if George Pickens plays 17 and finishes with eight or nine touchdowns, he’s probably still having a great  season. For that reason, as much as I’d like to see him go through the roof from a statistical and scoring standpoint, my expectations are not quite that high.

Miss a scenario? You can see the full list of scenarios below, and be sure to stay tuned to SCN for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for training camp.

Day 5: Russell Wilson Will Start All 17 Steelers Games In 2024

Day 4: The Steelers Defense Will Have More Takeaways This Season

Day 3: The Steelers Will Top Their 2023 Sack Total

Day 2: The Steelers Offense Will Have More Turnovers This Season

Day 1: The Steelers Will Go Above And Beyond Their Win-Loss Prediction In 2024