George Pickens Reportedly Had Concern With Steelers Before Trade to Cowboys

The Pittsburgh Steelers traded wide receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys on Wednesday in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick and 2026 fifth-round pick. Pickens now heads to the Cowboys after spending the first three seasons of his career with the Steelers.

Prior to the trade, Pickens reportedly had concerns about his future with Pittsburgh due to the team's rocky quarterback situation, per Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News. Though the Steelers are widely expected to sign quarterback Aaron Rodgers, he has yet to join the team. Even if Rodgers does join the team, he is 41 years old, and not a long-term answer for the team. Pittsburgh does not have a proven starting quarterback on the roster, and did not take a quarterback in the draft until the sixth round—when they picked Will Howard out of Ohio State.

Watkins also reported that Pickens is excited to join Dallas, and the opportunity to play with Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb were factors that attracted him to the team.

For Dallas, it not only lands a much-needed second wide receiver to complement Lamb, but a player who is not currently seeking a contract extension. According to Watkins, Pickens has "no desire" for an extension and is "willing" to prove himself to the Cowboys. Dallas has recently doled out massive extensions to Prescott, Lamb, and defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa, and is still looking to lock up linebacker Micah Parsons.

Though Pickens reportedly had concerns about staying with the Steelers, Pittsburgh reporter Mark Kaboly shared that the decision to trade Pickens came from coach Mike Tomlin. Pickens has had some immature moments on the field over the first few seasons of his career, including grabbing cornerback Jourdan Lewis by the facemask and throwing him to the ground, or getting entangled with a Washington Commanders defender after quarterback Russell Wilson threw an interception. The Steelers previously added a No. 1 wideout this offseason by trading for D.K. Metcalf, and are now moving on from Pickens.