Cowboys acquiring George Pickens from Steelers: Trade details revealed

The Pittsburgh Steelers are trading receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys in a deal expected to be completed Wednesday. Adam Schefter of ESPN revealed each team’s compensation in the blockbuster.

Pittsburgh will receive a 2026 third round pick and a 2027 fifth round pick. Dallas is getting Pickens and a 2026 sixth round pick. The Steelers selected Pickens in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, so it’s a slight value loss.

Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported ahead of Day 2 of this year’s draft that the Steelers had been receiving calls on the availability of Pickens. At the same time, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he was working on “pretty substantive trades” that could happen “before or after the draft.” Less than two weeks after the draft, Jones has got his guy.

Pickens appeared in 14 games last season as he missed some time with an injury. During that time, he hauled in 59 receptions for 900 yards and three touchdowns as a key piece of the Steelers’ passing attack. That came after an impressive second year in the NFL in 2023 when he had a career-high 1,140 yards and five touchdowns. His 18.1 yards per reception led the league that season.

His tenure in Pittsburgh was turbulent at times. Pickens has arrived for games and meetings later than requested by coaches, as well as arguing with fans during games. There was plenty of talk about the Steelers possibly moving on from Pickens during last season and now, the Cowboys have decided to be the team that makes the move for him, despite these concerns.

Cowboys make splash move, trade for George Pickens

Simply put, Dallas needed a talented wideout to pair alongside CeeDee Lamb. Before the move, Jalen Tolbert was projected to serve as the Cowboys’ No. 2 receiver. There have been rumblings that former Cowboy Amari Cooper could be back for a reunion.

As for Pittsburgh, it’s fair to question how this impacts their ongoing pursuit of quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The Steelers acquired receiver DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks and clearly, that move was meant to replace Pickens rather than pair them together. Pittsburgh’s offense is devoid of proven playmakers behind Metcalf; is it enough to entice the 41-year-old Rodgers to sign?

Only Rodgers knows the answer to that question. Exactly when he’ll make a decision is anybody’s guess.