Pittsburgh Steelers WR George Pickens makes a catch against Los Angeles Chargers CB Kristian Fulton. Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Chargers fans have every right to be mad about Cowboys trading for George Pickens

Originally posted on Los Angeles Chargers on SI
By Randy Gurzi | Last updated May 7, 2025 4:09 PM ET

There was a major NFL trade on Wednesday as the Dallas Cowboys improved their receiving corps by adding George Pickens. A move had been rumored for some time and was finally announced, with the terms being somewhat surprising.

Dallas landed Pickens and a sixth-round pick in exchange for a third and fifth-round pick. That’s a fair price to add a receiver who crossed 1,000-yards with Kenny Pickett throwing him the ball.

It’s safe to assume working with Dak Prescott will be a benefit for Pickens. The same would have been true of working with Justin Herbert, which is why some fans are upset with the Los Angeles Chargers for not getting involved in the trade talks.

Los Angeles currently has Ladd McConkey, Tre Harris, Mike Williams, and Quentin Johnston as their top receivers. That leaves them in a similar position as Dallas found themselves prior to the trade. McConkey is the lone threat but they don’t have a legitimate No. 2 receiver to lean on.

The Chargers are hopeful Tre Harris can become that, but it’s a lot of pressure to put on the shoulders of a rookie. It’s also the second year in a row they’re expecting a Day 2 pick to carry the load, after leaning heavily on McConkey during his rookie campaign.

That’s why fans have every right to be frustrated that the Chargers weren’t the ones aggressively looking to improve their receiving corps.

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Chargers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: