Former Steelers CB makes bold claim about trade of George Pickens to Cowboys

Whether or not the Pittsburgh Steelers or Dallas Cowboys "won" the trade involving Pittsburgh sending mercurial wide receiver George Pickens to Dallas earlier in May is a storyline that's bound to hover over both clubs up through at least January 2026. 

During a Monday appearance on CBS Sports HQ, former Steelers cornerback and current NFL analyst Bryant McFadden suggested that Pickens should be grateful that the Steelers gave him a fresh start this spring. 

"George Pickens, when you got traded to Dallas, the Steelers kind of did you a favor, right? Number one, you got traded to another storied franchise," McFadden said during the segment, as shared by Jake Brockhoff of Steelers Depot. "Number two, you're going into a better quarterbacking situation with the Dallas Cowboys, with a healthy Dak Prescott, and you're going into a better situation in terms of who is playing beside you in CeeDee Lamb. CeeDee Lamb will be the best wide receiver that George Pickens has ever played with in his professional career. So now, there shouldn't be any excuses."

The Cowboys took somewhat of a risk when they sent the Steelers a 2026 third-round draft pick and a 2027 fifth-round choice for Pickens and a 2027 sixth-round selection. Pickens is in the final year of his rookie contract, and there's no indication he and Dallas will agree to an extension at any point before the 2025 season comes to an end. Additionally, Pickens repeatedly caused headaches for head coach Mike Tomlin and allegedly was guilty of a "litany of violations" across his three campaigns with Pittsburgh. 

That said, it was reported shortly after the trade became official that "the Steelers' unsettled quarterback situation gave Pickens pause about his financial future." Pittsburgh may soon sign Aaron Rodgers, but there's no guarantee he'll be able to turn the clock back after he largely looked like a signal-caller past his prime with the New York Jets this past season. 

Meanwhile, Prescott emerged as a 2023 Most Valuable Player finalist when Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer was the club's offensive coordinator. Prescott's 2024 campaign ended prematurely because of a hamstring injury.

Pickens has millions of reasons to want to prove McFadden right while in a contract year. Even if Pickens turns out to be a one-year rental for Dallas, he could also become an absolute steal if he enjoys a career season and also stays on his best behavior up until the Cowboys complete their final game of the campaign.