Steelers Now
The Pittsburgh Steelers are starting to end up on the wrong side of one of their recent deals.
The Pittsburgh Steelers made the somewhat unsurprising decision to trade away wide receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys this offseason. However, they don’t seem to be ending up on the right side of the deal after receiving just a third-round pick in return.
Kay Adams of FanDuel TV not only reiterated that sentiment but also believes it could go down as one of the worst trades in NFL history.
“I think that trading George Pickens is probably going to go down as one of the worst deals in NFL history, and I mean that. I’m sorry to the Steelers. I just think it’s true,” Adams said on the Up & Adams Show. “It is so clear. It is so glaringly obvious watching George Pickens last night, a day after Kenneth Gainwell led Pittsburgh in receiving against the Bengals, this is clearly a bad call by the Steelers.”
Is the George Pickens trade one of the worst trades in NFL history?@heykayadams pic.twitter.com/1jjb5yPc73
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) November 18, 2025
Pickens is on pace to have by far his best statistical season of his young, NFL career. Through the first 10 games of the season, he has amassed 58 catches for 908 yards and an already career-high seven touchdowns. He currently has the second-most receiving yards in the league, behind only Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxson Smith-Njigba (1,146).
The former second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft added to that total on Sunday night with nine catches for 144 yards and a touchdown all while being benched to start the game.
Meanwhile, the Steelers are still waiting for wide receiver DK Metcalf, who they acquired for a second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, to take his game to another level.
In his first 10 games in Pittsburgh, Metcalf has recorded 37 catches for 551 yards and five touchdowns.
Adams can’t help but imagine where the Steelers would rank if they hadn’t ever parted ways with Pickens.
“They’re trying to find any semblance of consistency and rhythm outside of DK in the passing game. It just doesn’t exist,” Adams continued. “I think we’d be looking at Pittsburgh totally differently if he was still there. Aaron Rodgers, DK and George Pickens. They wouldn’t need to line up in three-tight end sets every other play if they had George Pickens still there.”
There’s no going back on the deal now, but Pittsburgh is certainly hoping its big offseason addition in Metcalf can start stacking some similar performances as Pickens to help the deal go down a bit easier.
Metcalf only has one 100-yard receiving game so far this season, which came against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 4. He will look to make it two this Sunday against the Chicago Bears, who are allowing the 10th-most passing yards per game (231.3) in the NFL.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now:...
