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Mike Tomlin reportedly drove the decision to trade Pickens.
A new report from longtime Steelers writer and Pat McAfee Show contributor Mark Kaboly claims that none other than head coach Mike Tomlin [...] wanted the talented-but-temperamental player out of town.
“Make no mistake about it, Tomlin — who has gone out of his way in the past to defend Pickens — is the one who decided that the Pickens rehabilitation project needed to end a year early,” Kaboly writes. “The ultimate decision had very little to do with general manager Omar Khan (although he signed off on it, too), and of course it was OK’d by team owner Art Rooney II.”
Said Tomlin about Pickens late last year, “He’s just got to grow up, man. This is an emotional game. He’s got a target on his back because he’s George; he understands that. But he’s got to grow up. He’s got to grow up in a hurry.”
It’s pretty clear for CBSSports who came out on top in this trade.
Cowboys: A-
At 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, Pickens is a legitimate perimeter threat that should have Dak Prescott giddy. He will open up things for Lamb, and vice versa. On paper, the Cowboys just created one of the best wide receiver duos in the league. After last year’s incredibly disappointing offseason and the forgettable 2024 campaign that followed, these are the kinds of moves that Cowboys fans want to see from Jerry Jones.
As for the cons, Pickens has struggled to hold his emotions in check and cost his team yards with penalties, plus he has just one more year remaining on his rookie deal. The Cowboys would be losers in this trade if the 2025 season were to be a failure and Pickens left in free agency. However, this is the kind of swing I like to see from a team that wants to win football games.
Steelers: B-
The Steelers did trade for and extend DK Metcalf this offseason, so parting ways with Pickens is not the biggest surprise in the world. But if you were to go back in time and tell yourself that the Steelers would be trading Pickens away for a third-round pick, you would be pretty disappointed.
The Cowboys just crack Brooks’ Top 8.
8. Dallas Cowboys
The blockbuster trade that brought George Pickens from Pittsburgh to Dallas has thrust the Cowboys into the conversation as one of the most dangerous pass-catching groups heading into 2025. Pickens gives Brian Schottenheimer’s offense a much-needed complement to four-time Pro Bowler CeeDee Lamb, who has carried the...
