The Pittsburgh Steelers traded wide receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys last May. Pittsburgh received a 2026 third-round pick from Dallas, using that pick on quarterback Drew Allar. The trade will be complete in next April’s draft, as the Steelers received a 2027 fifth-round pick and the Cowboys received a 2027 sixth-round pick.
Unfortunately for the Steelers, the trade has not aged well after one season. DK Metcalf caught just 59 passes in 2026, while Pickens was a Second-Team All-Pro after hauling
in 93 receptions and nine touchdowns in his first year with the Cowboys.
After Pickens’ massive season, he was voted as the No. 7 wide receiver in the NFL by league executives and scouts, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.
“One of the best I’ve ever seen at the contested catch,” a veteran NFL offensive coach said, via Fowler. “There’s such untapped ability there. It’s just a consistency issue and where his head’s at week to week.”
While the trade can be defended for a multitude of reasons, including Pickens reportedly being consistently late for meetings and arrival times for games, as well as multiple on-field tantrums, his immediate breakout after leaving Pittsburgh and pairing with a top quarterback like Dak Prescott doesn’t paint the Steelers in a good light.
Now apart of one of the NFL’s most dynamic offenses, Pickens and the Cowboys could be a team we see make it to the NFC Championship Game and represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.
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