The Dallas Cowboys may have solved a pressing need at wide receiver, but their bold trade for George Pickens came after most of the NFL had already passed. The Pittsburgh Steelers shipped the talented but polarizing wideout, along with a 2027 sixth-round pick, to Dallas in exchange for a 2026 third-rounder and a 2027 fifth. The deal capped off weeks of internal tension, public criticism, and minimal trade interest around the league.
NFL Interest Made Cowboys the Only Real Suitor for Steelers, George Pickens
Pickens, a former second-round pick, brings undeniable talent: 174 catches, nearly 3,000 receiving yards, and a highlight reel full of contested grabs. But behind the scenes, patience in Pittsburgh had worn thin. Head coach Mike Tomlin had publicly questioned his maturity, and the team quietly shopped him throughout the offseason. Only one team bit — and it wasn’t for a 2025 draft pick. Meanwhile, Dallas gets an immediate WR2 behind CeeDee Lamb but inherits a gamble other teams weren’t willing to take.
According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, the market for Pickens was so barren that “some teams … laughed at the idea of inviting Pickens into their locker room for any price, let alone a second-day draft pick. There wasn’t a lot of interest in talking with the Steelers about a trade.” While rumors swirled during the NFL Draft that the Steelers were willing to move him, most front offices reportedly didn’t want to entertain the risk — even with Pickens on a rookie deal.
Leaguewide skepticism showed in the eventual return. Pittsburgh had hoped to land a pick in the 2025 draft, but would have had to settle for less compensation. Instead, the Steelers played the long game and secured a future third- and fifth-round pick from Dallas, prompting Howe to give the Steelers a B+ grade: “The return is higher than expected,” Howe began, “but the Steelers had to wait a year to get it. Of course, the initial hope was to acquire a pick in last month’s draft, but they would have had to take less compensation.”
For Dallas, the grade wasn’t quite as favorable. The Athletic handed them a C, noting that while Pickens addresses a clear need, the price was steep for a player with off-field baggage and no guaranteed future in Dallas. “If it works out, Pickens wakes up, signs an extension and produces for years, this trade grade will need a big bump. But it’s reasonable to be skeptical that’ll happen,” Howe wrote.
The Cowboys are banking on a locker room culture strong enough to handle a volatile personality, while the Steelers once again may have turned a declining asset into draft capital — something they’ve done repeatedly in the past. Pittsburgh has a long-standing pattern of moving on from wide receivers just before their value drops or off-field issues outweigh their production. Whether this follows the success of their trades involving Chase Claypool, Diontae Johnson, or even Antonio Brown remains to be seen.
As Howe summed it up: “It’s on Pickens to prove them wrong. If he does, the trade will be a home run. Other teams need to see it to believe it.”