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There is no place for loyalty or rationality in the NFL. The latest trade of George Pickens by the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Dallas Cowboys is a testament to the previous statement. For three seasons, Pickens proved himself to be a reliable wideout in Pittsburgh, with a single thousand-yard receiving season. Pickens is talented and, until a few hours ago, was a key part of the Steelers’ new-look offense.
With the recent addition of DK Metcalf to their receiving corps, the Pittsburgh Steelers had formed a formidable duo, one that was expected to be at the receiving end of Aaron Rodgers’ passes in the coming months. However, in a shocking move, Mike Tomlin made the call to trade away George Pickens along with a 2027 sixth-round pick in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick.
The decision was unexpected because it puts the Steelers’ offense at a disadvantage. By trading away their top receiver, one who is thoroughly familiar with the team’s offensive playbook, Pittsburgh now finds itself in the same position it did last season, with one reliable receiver to bear the brunt of the workload.
The only plausible justification for trading George Pickens to the Cowboys is the wide receiver’s non-football-related shenanigans. He continued the streak started by previous Steelers’ receivers such as Antonio Brown, Chase Claypool, and Diontae Johnson, of causing more headaches than he could cure.
Pickens has found himself involved in fights, which led to penalties of unnecessary roughness, and publicly took a jibe at the Steelers franchise over how Mike Tomlin was utilizing him. CBS Sports estimated the value of his fines at around $200,000 in 2023-24 alone. However, Pickens will be hard to replace, and here are three reasons why Pittsburgh will begin to miss him sooner than anticipated.
3. George Pickens has been the Steelers’ WR1 over the past three years
In 2024-25 alone, Pickens was targeted 103 times through 14 games. He had just 6 drops and 59 receptions. Compare that to Pat Freiermuth, the second option at receiver, whom the Steelers relied upon; he was targeted 78 times and had 65 receptions for 653 yards. Pickens performed consistently and has been the go-to guy in Pittsburgh. His physicality and athleticism are his strengths. With one more year left on his rookie deal, it would have been smart to have utilized his services alongside DK Metcalf to gain an understanding of the level of chemistry between the duo.
It is unclear if the Steelers witnessed any glaring red flags apart from the ten infractions Pickens has registered over three seasons that prompted them to make such a move, but it indicates that they are moving in a different direction.
2. Pittsburgh has cemented itself as a team reluctant to invest heavily in receivers
When the Steelers offered DK Metcalf a four-year, $132 million contract in March, it signaled the start of something positive. Mike Tomlin is revered as a defensive mastermind who leaves no stone unturned in signing the best players on defense, but when it comes to wide receivers, Pittsburgh has not been a hot destination.
Before Metcalf, the biggest contract offered by the Steelers to a wideout was in the four-year, $68 million deal to Antonio Brown. The franchise has been reluctant to invest in top-tier receiver talent, and they had the opportunity to bust that notion by allowing Metcalf and Pickens to coexist. After George Pickens’ current contract ends, he will expect a $100 million+ contract based on the present market standards.
The team saw this coming, and it is likely that to avoid facing such a situation, they opted to trade him. The least that the Steelers could have done is give this duo a year to explore their on-field chemistry. If things had not worked out, Pittsburgh would have continued to be in a position to receive a third-rounder and a fifth-rounder in exchange for the receiver in the next off-season.
1. The Pickens trade may impact Aaron Rodgers’ interest in joining the AFC North
One of two things is going on here: either Aaron Rodgers’s trade to the Steelers is a done deal after this trade, or the veteran quarterback now has heightened reservations about joining the franchise.
Pittsburgh’s unique selling point to quarterbacks was their newly formed wideout pair of DK Metcalf and George Pickens. Apart from Mike Tomlin, this was believed to be the key driver that encouraged the four-time NFL MVP to be a part of this franchise. Rodgers cherished the idea of having two talented receivers on the field, but now, he faces himself in a scenario relying on DK Metcalf alone.
Metcalf is a star, but in the NFL, having one star receiver wins you Wild Card games, while having two star receivers wins you Super Bowls. At this juncture, Aaron Rodgers is interested in winning a ring, and the Pickens trade may have just changed his plans to join the Steelers.
However, there is a possibility that he saw this coming. Notice that Rodgers has had throwing sessions with DK Metcalf but not with Pickens. If anything, there is a chance that Pittsburgh parted ways with their top receiver to make room to sign additional wideouts preferred by Aaron Rodgers.
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