The Pittsburgh Steelers turned a sleepy sunrise on Wednesday into a frenzy when they traded WR George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys. The trade shocked a lot of people, both fans and the media alike. Why would the Steelers trade Pickens after the draft, especially with the prospect of an elite wide receiver duo of him and DK Metcalf?
The move, at face value, turns a position of strength back to a weakness, like it was in 2024. The Steelers had George Pickens and no other established NFL talent at the position. They traded for DK Metcalf earlier this offseason to fix that. So why make the move? Trading Pickens removed a persistent headache. There is no question that Pickens is a wildly talented receiver. But at some point, the problems are too much for the talent.
The Steelers’ hands aren’t clean in this mess, either. The went through multiple quarterbacks during Pickens’ Pittsburgh tenure. There was the whole Matt Canada as offensive coordinator fiasco, too. But Pickens didn’t handle those issues well, and that’s why former NFL safety and Football Night in America analyst Rodney Harrison thinks the move was a good one for both sides.
“He wants the ball, he wants to make plays, and dealing with the inconsistency and the inconsistent play at the quarterback, all the different offensive coordinators, are they gonna run the football? Are they gonna pass the football? It’s been a mess in Steelers Nation, it’s been an absolute mess,” Harrison said Thursday on Football Night in America. “Who, especially a young guy that wants the football, why would he want to be there? And, of course, he’s not mature enough to handle the moment. So he shows his immaturity and he wants out. I think that was the best move for the Steelers, to get rid of him, move on, and continue to pursue a new number two.”
The Steelers have been a mess offensively since QB Ben Roethlisberger retired (and perhaps even during his final years). That’s a hard environment for young players to stay positive. And as a talented wide receiver, you want to be a big part of your team’s offense.
The problem has been that it’s hard for a wide receiver to be a big part of the Steelers’ offense in recent years. The Steelers have trotted out quarterbacks like Mitch Trubisky, Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph, Justin Fields, and Russell Wilson. And somehow, Pickens made a positive impact much more often than not for the Steelers.
But the lack of consistent quarterback play, combined with a run-heavy focus that isn’t going away with head coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, made Pittsburgh an environment not conducive to consistent opportunities. There are plenty of examples of players on the Steelers handling it well. TE Pat Freiermuth comes to mind immediately. But Pickens struggled to handle it.
Harrison calls it a lack of maturity. I’m not going to pass personal judgment, but George Pickens definitely struggled at times with effort on the field. And it’s cost the Steelers at times. If Tomlin and company thought it wasn’t going to get any better in Pittsburgh, you look for a trade so you can get something before he walks in free agency. The problem is, what do the Steelers do at wide receiver now? That’s what Kyle Brandt of Good Morning Football wants to know: What is the Steelers’ plan?
Chris Simms would be surprised if the Steelers don’t add a veteran receiver before training camp. And there are certainly options on the free-agent market with Keenan Allen, Amari Cooper, and Gabe Davis available. So, the Steelers will likely be looking for a quality veteran option sooner rather than later.
This is not one of those situations where one party is at fault and the other isn’t. The Steelers did not do George Pickens any favors with their lack of quarterback strategy and lackluster offensive coordinator choices (Matt Canada, especially). But Pickens didn’t do himself or the Steelers any favors, either. His lapses in effort on the field were under his control entirely. And it certainly appears that he wasn’t making progress in that area.
Otherwise, why would Tomlin push for the trade? He had been Pickens’ staunchest defender in Pittsburgh, but according to Mark Kaboly, Tomlin was the driving force behind the trade. Hopefully, this trade is exactly what both sides need. Rodney Harrison certainly thinks the Steelers did what’s best for them in the Pickens trade.
