Steelers Now
Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Plaxico Burress thinks the Steelers made a mistake by trading George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys. It was obvious that the Steelers were not going to give big-time money to both DK Metcalf and Pickens, but if Burress had to choose, he would’ve paid Pickens.
“How this hurts the Pittsburgh Steelers, they didn’t get any better. I don’t believe, when it comes down to playing the position and playing the game of football, that DK Metcalf is a better wide receiver than George Pickens. I would not agree to that,” Burress said on his Up On Game podcast. “We know that George Pickens, when he’s playing and he’s focused, he’s one of the top five ball players at the position. There’s no dispute in that. There’s no doubt about it, but we got to get the young man focused so he can reach his full potential and become one of these elite wide receivers in all of football.”
Metcalf never had less than 900 yards receiving in his six years with Seattle. He’s also been named to two Pro Bowls and was second-team All-Pro in 2020. Pickens has not been named All-Pro or earned a Pro Bowl selection yet. Of course, Pickens did not have a great quarterback situation in Pittsburgh, however. It will be interesting to see what he can do in Dallas as a No. 2 wide receiver with CeeDee Lamb and quarterback Dak Prescott.
"I don't believe when it comes down to playing the position and playing the game of football, that DK Metcalf is a better wide receiver than George Pickens."
🎙@plaxicoburress gives his thoughts on the Pickens trade to @LaVarArrington and @housh84 .
via @UPonGAMENetwork pic.twitter.com/LEdmF6g1qH
— FOX Sports Radio (@FoxSportsRadio) May 11, 2025
Former NFL wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh revealed some key details on why the Steelers traded George Pickens to the Cowboys last week. It lines up with previous reports. The Steelers quite simply had enough with Pickens’ antics.
“George Pickens had stepped over and crossed the line a bit too many times and I know people that play with the Steelers. He’d be late for the team plane that would be flying out to away games multiple times. He’d be late to get on the team bus and they had enough of it,” Houshmandzadeh said on the Up On Game podcast.
“They didn’t want to pay him 30-plus million dollars and these antics are probably just going to get worse because you’re not even making anywhere near that. You’re doing all this now? What you gonna do when you get the money? And so they said. ‘You know what, we’re gonna get rid of [him]. Dallas, he’s your problem,’ but he’s gonna be a really good problem.”
Steelers general manager Omar Khan took to the podium at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on Friday to set the record straight about how Pickens ended up traded to the Cowboys on Wednesday.
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