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After an offseason of speculation, the Pittsburgh Steelers are finalizing a deal to send star wide receiver George Pickens and a 2027 sixth round pick to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick.
The thought of trading away George Pickens has been a possibility for the entire offseason, with constant rumors that he was planning to search out free agency after the final year of his contract, which would make the most sense considering the Steelers most likely were not going to give Pickens thirty-plus million like every other star wide receiver is getting in today’s market. It also sounds like Pickens on-and-off-field issues with the organization played a big role in the trade as well.
The main complaint Pickens had during his time in Pittsburgh was his lack of targets and receptions.
An argument you can make for Pickens is that the quarterback resume he was surrounded by was borderline atrocious. The list of quarterbacks was Mitch Trubisky, Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph, 36-year-old Russell Wilson, and Justin Fields for the sixth game he started. My overall take on the trade is that I understand it. The Steelers knew, regardless, that this was going to be Pickens’ last season with the organization, so they needed to make sure they got something out of him.
Was I expecting to get more? Yes, however, a team that is no longer close to a Super Bowl needs young draft talent, and that’s exactly what they’re trying to do. As a George Pickens and Steelers fan, this is devastating – this most likely takes the Steelers out of any contention of competing for a Super Bowl this year. They already are struggling to find a high-level quarterback to play here and now have to replace a starting talent in the wide receiver room. You would think if this really was the plan all along to trade Pickens, the Steelers would have at least drafted a receiver in the later rounds. As of now, the teams receiving core looks like DK Metcalf, Robert Woods, Calvin Austin, and Scotty Miller.
Lastly, this all goes back to when Ben Roethlisberger retired. Steeler fans knew this could be the reality that five years later they could still be searching for a quarterback, and look where we are. So yes, Pickens was an issue on and off the field, however, it goes deeper than the players we let go, like Pickens, Claypool, and Najee. It all comes back to the fact that the Steelers have yet to find their next franchise quarterback, and until they do, this will continue to happen.
