After an injury-riddled season, the Dallas Cowboys have been busy overhauling their franchise this offseason. No move was more significant than cutting ties with Mike McCarthy and promoting offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to head coach.
Since then, the front office has been focused on talent acquisition through free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft. Yet, according to The Athletic’s NFL insider Dianna Russini, the Cowboys also recently discussed trading for Pittsburgh Steelers star receiver George Pickens.
“I can just tell you, right before the draft and during the draft (the Steelers) were calling around, teams were calling them, there were conversations flying around about George Pickens. But I think it’s probably at this point not going to be something we see.
Dianna Russini on George Pickens/Cowboys trade
The Cowboys were one of the teams that discussed bringing in the Steelers’ wideout, sources tell me. But with the draft in the rearview, expect the trade buzz to cool surrounding Pickens.”
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It’s possible the Steelers were gauging Pickens’ trade value around the league, just in case a special receiver talent started to slip in the NFL Draft. Yet, the Steelers didn’t select a receiver at all during the NFL Draft, so as Russini notes, it’s possible all Pickens trade discussions have died, at least for now.
Pickens is headed into the final year of his rookie contract, which is likely why the Steelers were weighing their options before determining whether an extension is worth it. For now, Pickens is set to have a reasonable $4.1 million cap hit and will compete with DK Metcalf to be the top receiver in PIttsburgh, though they’re still waiting to learn who their starting quarterback will be.
