George Pickens trade: Alarming trend on Pittsburgh Steelers WRs emerges after Cowboys accusation

“Here’s what George Pickens now will try to overcome in Dallas: There has not been a single Steelers’ wide receiver that has left Pittsburgh and gone on to produce more elsewhere. Each saw his per-game productivity – by yardage – fall off by at least 20 percent, via @PaulHembo,” Schefter posted on Thursday.

The other seven receivers on the list were Santonio Holmes, Mike Wallace, Martavis Bryant, Antonio Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Chase Claypool, and Diontae Johnson. Per the stat listed here, those receivers averaged 62.6 receiving yards per game during their times playing for Pittsburgh. Then, following their respective trades elsewhere and for the remainder of their careers to this point, they’ve posted 38.6 reception yards per game, which is a 24-yard drop on average.

Now, a lot of things could play into that. Age could be one with all but one of these receivers entering their late 20s, or their early 30s in the case of Brown. The respective teams could be one as well in playing for a new offense on the fifteen teams they’d end up with over their remaining seasons respectively. There’s also an off-field or demeanor question for several of these players as well with those maybe working in Pittsburgh but not within other franchises around the NFL.

Still, the numbers are currently the numbers. That leaves Pickens, a leading receiver each of the last two seasons with averages of 58 catches, 947 yards, and four touchdowns per year through three in the league, as the latest to try to end that trend as he now goes to Dallas.

Of those considered reasons, personality can be a concern with him but, that said, he’s also the youngest one at the time that he was dealt. He’s going to a team too that has had some of the league’s best offenses that past six seasons with QB Dak Prescott leading their pass game with receiver targets like CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper. Pickens will be no more than their second target at best with Lamb still there, though, with that also affecting his numbers.

This isn’t a statistic that would suggest success for Pickens in joining America’s Team. However, it doesn’t mean that he can’t in now continuing his career with the Cowboys.