Behind the Steel Curtain
The Pittsburgh Steelers traded wide receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys in the offseason for a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth rounder this offseason. They also threw in a 2027 sixth to sweeten the deal for Dallas.
Following three seasons of highlight-reel plays, but on-field antics, being late to the Christmas Day game against the Chiefs, and problems in the locker room, the Steelers had enough. Pickens had to go. But was it the right decision?
At the time, it seemed the answer was yes. The Steelers traded for DK Metcalf, paid him $30 million per season, and decided to deal Pickens instead of keeping the two together for the 2025 campaign. Going into a contract year, Pickens went to Dallas to play for Jerry Jones with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb. It’s Jones and Pickens who are having the last mighty laugh.
Through 11 games, Pickens has more receiving yards than all five Steelers receivers combined. Pickens owns 67 receptions for 1,054 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging 95.8 yards per game.
DK Metcalf has 25 fewer catches (42) and 527 fewer yards (573), and half of Pickens’ touchdowns (five). Calvin Austin is second on the team with 278 yards, but missed two games. Austin has seven catches in his last three games.
Roman Wilson, Ben Skowronek, and Scotty Miller have combined for 231 yards and three touchdowns, two by Wilson, who is starting to find his footing in his second season but didn’t have a catch in Chicago.
Pickens has already set new career highs in receptions, touchdowns, yards per game, and touchdown percentage (11.9%). He is set to shatter his 1,140 career yards mark in a season and cash in on a big extension in Dallas, or sign elsewhere on the open market this spring.
The trade signals a bleak and harsh reality for the Steelers. Pickens became too much of an issue for the Steelers to handle and never reached his full potential. FanDuel TV host Kay Adams called the trade one of the worst deals in NFL history. She might be right, for the Steelers organization at least.
There are other factors at play, including Pickens’ actions in and around the team causing too many distractions, fighting with Greg Newsome in the end zone in Cleveland on a hail mary pass intended for him, blaming the weather for the loss to the Browns, and having to be calmed down by his teammates on the sidelines.
Other than being benched for the opening drive of the Raiders game, along with CeeDee Lamb, for actions in Vegas, Pickens has been a delight for Dallas.
While the Steelers look on and continue to flounder on offense and are in desperate need of a deep-threat receiver, Pickens has gone on to have the type of season people knew he was capable of, but could never put the pieces together to have in Pittsburgh.
