George Pickens wasn’t going to get a contract extension from the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason. It turns out he’s not going to be getting one with his new team either after the Dallas Cowboys traded for him Wednesday morning.
That is reportedly Pickens’ choice, too.
“Per source on the need for a possible contract extension following the trade, new Cowboys WR George Pickens isn’t ‘looking to do one. Wants to show he’s a top guy this year,'” longtime Cowboys reporter Clarence Hill Jr. writes on X regarding Pickens’ contract situation.
While it might be Pickens’ decision to focus on his production on the field in 2025 in a great situation with Dak Prescott at quarterback and CeeDee Lamb opposite him, it would have been very difficult for the Cowboys to try and extend him this offseason while still needing to do a new deal with star pass rusher Micah Parsons.
That extension was never going to happen in Pittsburgh, even with ESPN’s Brooke Pryor strangely stating during an appearance on 93.7 The Fan before the 2025 NFL Draft that things seemed to be trending in the direction of an extension between the Steelers and Pickens.
The Steelers paid DK Metcalf after trading for him, spending $150 million on the wide receiver following the trade before the start of the new league year. That left the writing on the wall for Pickens.
While the young receiver might have wanted to remain in Pittsburgh, he just became too much to deal with, and the Steelers ultimately decided to cut bait and get something for him while they could, loading up further for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Of course, the Steelers could have held onto Pickens through the 2025 season and let him walk and received a compensatory pick, depending on his contract. But that compensatory pick wouldn’t come until 2027, which doesn’t help the Steelers within this window they’re seemingly operating in with an eye on the 2026 NFL Draft.
So, he’s off to Dallas. An extension doesn’t seem to be on the table, and Pickens is out to prove he’s a top guy. That could work well for him in an explosive Dallas offense with Prescott throwing him the football and Lamb on the other side drawing significant attention.
