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George Pickens Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

History exposes why Cowboys' George Pickens trade is no threat to Commanders

Originally posted on Riggo's Rag | By Hirdesh Matta | Last updated May 8, 2025 10:00 AM ET

The Dallas Cowboys recently finalized a trade to acquire George Pickens from the Pittsburgh Steelers. While his tandem with All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb sounds lethal on paper, history suggests the Washington Commanders have nothing to fear.

We've watched this scene play out again and again with the Steelers. Throughout Mike Tomlin's head coaching tenure, they have been excellent at discovering gems at wide receiver and extracting the most value out of them.

Once that receiver wears out his welcome, whether it's due to extraordinary contract demands, putting their needs above the team's, or their inability to keep their composure on the field, Tomlin is happy to find a willing trade partner and move on.

The Steelers traded Santonio Holmes for a fifth-round pick after he had a career-high 79 receptions for 1,248 receiving yards, and was less than 1.5 years removed from being Super Bowl MVP. He would never again match the production he had in Pittsburgh.

Commanders hope Cowboys have fallen victim to Steelers' receiver selloff scheme

That fifth-rounder was flipped for Bryant McFadden and Arizona's sixth-rounder, which would be used on Antonio Brown. Have we heard this story before?

Brown would go on to have seven Pro Bowl seasons with the Steelers. He led the league in receptions in 2014 and 2015 and receiving yards in 2014 and 2017.

The four-time All-Pro started to become a distraction for the organization, skipping practice and badmouthing the team. This ultimately led to Brown being traded to the Las Vegas Raiders for third and fifth-round picks. The Steelers even took on $21 million in dead cap to get rid of him.

The receiver ultimately never played for the Raiders. Brown only started seven more games in his career before refusing to enter a game and walking off the field in Week 17 of the 2021 season.

Enter Diontae Johnson, who the Steelers drafted the year after trading Brown. Same story. Eighteen months after signing the Toledo graduate to a two-year, $36.71 million extension, the Steelers cut their losses, trading him to the Carolina Panthers.

Good chart from @ngreenberg after the George Pickens trade - Steelers WRs are almost always good in Pittsburgh, but rarely the same production in other spots. pic.twitter.com/2KyArx41Wa
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) May 7, 2025

Johnson is now on his fourth team since the trade, falling out of favor with the Panthers in under a year, quitting on the Baltimore Ravens, before being signed and waived by the Houston Texans. He ultimately signed a one-year, $1.17 million contract with the Cleveland Browns after the draft with no guaranteed money.

Chase Claypool. Déjà vu. He had two seasons of above-average production before being shown the door, with the Steelers getting a second-round pick in the 2023 draft for their troubles. That turned into cornerback Joey Porter Jr.

Nobody is questioning Pickens' talent. But as they say, history tends to repeat itself. In that case, the Cowboys should be concerned.

The Cowboys did get two 1,000-plus yard seasons out of Amari Cooper after trading a first-round pick for the receiver. However, in the past, they have been burned by trading for wideouts. The acquisitions of Joey Galloway (2000) and Roy Williams (2008) didn't bear much fruit.

If it's any recourse for the Cowboys, it does seem like Pickens is a perfect match for Dak Prescott. We'll just have to wait and see if Dallas can avoid being the latest victim of the Steelers' receiver selloff scheme.