The Pittsburgh Steelers are never keen on rebuilding. Most of their moves this offseason, like trading for DK Metcalf and pursuing Aaron Rodgers, are to make them better in 2025. However, trading George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys doesn’t seem to align with that goal. The draft has passed this year, so Pittsburgh’s return is a move for the future. According to NFL insider James Palmer, the Steelers have planned on trading Pickens for a while.
“And by the way, this was decided in Pittsburgh years and years ago,” Palmer said Wednesday on Bleacher Report’s YouTube channel.
If Palmer is to be believed, then the Steelers were never going to sign Pickens beyond his rookie contract. That would explain why they were already set on trading him, especially with the former second-round pick going into the final year of his contract.
The Steelers have a history of trading wide receivers, too. Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, Martavis Bryant, and Antonio Brown are just a few examples. They tend to draft and develop receivers to replace veterans. With Pickens’ attitude issues, the Steelers might have felt like there was too much risk giving him a contract extension.
However, the move might have aligned up with the Steelers trying to find their next franchise quarterback. Palmer thinks that they’re very interested in the 2026 quarterback class.
“I would keep an eye on the Steelers. I look at what they’ve done, in terms of passing on quarterbacks all the way down to the bottom of the draft in the sixth round when they take Will Howard,” he said. “They had multiple opportunities to get Shedeur Sanders. They could’ve taken the second quarterback off the board at 21. They were never going to do any of these things; they were never in their plans.
“Why? My understanding is I think they’re going to go heavily into looking at a franchise quarterback in 2026. This is a better class. The Pickens trade happened after the draft, which gives them their capital for 2026 and not within the 2025 draft. I think that plays into their favor.”
In return for Pickens and a 2027 sixth-round pick, the Steelers received a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick. That gives them even more draft capital for next year.
Right now, the Steelers don’t have a long-term plan under center. Rodgers doesn’t change that even if he signs with the Steelers. The 2025 quarterback class didn’t look very strong, so the Steelers didn’t address that need until Day 3.
A lot can happen in a year, but for now, quarterback looks like more of a strength of the 2026 draft. It would make sense for the Steelers to make their move for a top prospect next year. Mike Tomlin doesn’t plan on tanking, and the top quarterback prospects don’t often fall to where Pittsburgh is usually picking.
Trading Pickens gives the Steelers more ammo to potentially trade up. They could have a solid long-term plan to become legitimate championship contenders again.
