The Pittsburgh Steelers are reportedly dealing WR George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys, but the trade wasn’t because Pickens asked for one, according to Mark Kaboly of The Pat McAfee Show.
“The organization felt it was time to move on,” Kaboly tweeted Wednesday morning. “My understanding is that Pickens didn’t request the trade.”
ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler reported last week that Pickens “flirted” with a trade request but wanted to remain in Pittsburgh and move forward with the Steelers. With Pickens entering the last year of his contract and it seeming highly unlikely that he would get a new contract from the Steelers, they opted to move on and get draft pick compensation for the embattled receiver.
Pickens’ attitude has been an issue during his tenure with the Steelers. He got into multiple altercations after games last year with opposing players and also reportedly showed up late to the team’s Christmas Day game against the Kansas City Chiefs. He’s also racked up thousands of dollars in fines from the team and the league.
With Pickens unlikely to remain in Pittsburgh long-term, the Steelers are moving on from the former second-round pick, even if it wasn’t by Pickens’ volition. The team acquired WR DK Metcalf earlier this offseason, and instead of rolling with an offense that featured both Pickens and Metcalf, the Steelers will again have one clear No. 1 and then a wide receiver room that’s very similar to last year with Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson. Robert Woods could be an upgrade in the passing game over Van Jefferson, and Metcalf is an upgrade over Pickens, but the makeup of the room is similar.
The Pickens-to-Dallas trade reportedly was in the works during the 2025 NFL Draft, but the two teams weren’t able to get it done. Per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the Cowboys came back with an improved offer, and the Steelers decided to move Pickens.
Occurring after the draft, the timing of the trade is interesting, but the Steelers were able to get a Day 2 selection next year with another third-round pick, and it’s a draft where the Steelers could be looking to move up for a franchise quarterback. The trade gives them more ammo to potentially do so and gets them compensation for a talented but mercurial receiver without a long-term future in Pittsburgh.
