Recently, the Dallas Cowboys swung a semi-blockbuster trade for star receiver George Pickens, surprising everyone who thought he’d stick with the Pittsburgh Steelers after the 2025 NFL Draft ended. Even though he’s headed into the final year of his rookie contract, many outsiders viewed the 6-foot-3, 200-pound receiver as a top receiver, and teams could always use more playmakers.
Yet, the trade return the Steelers got in exchange for Pickens was a bit lighter than many expected. For the record, the Steelers only fetched a 2026 third-round pick plus a 2027 fifth-round pick in exchange for Pickens plus a 2027 sixth-round pick.
Though, The Athletic’s Jeff Howe paints a different picture of how Pickens was viewed around the NFL. When polled by The Athletic, some teams reportedly laughed at the idea of adding the controversial receiver to their locker room.
“Word leaked during the draft that Pickens was available if anyone wanted him. Some teams polled by The Athletic at the time laughed at the idea of inviting Pickens into their locker room for any price, let alone a second-day draft pick. There wasn’t a lot of interest in talking with the Steelers about a trade.”
Jeff Howe on George Pickens’ reputation
Pickens has had his fair share of concerning reports, whether it’s a lack of effort, odd social media activity drawing unnecessary attention, or other factors. Still, the Cowboys had no issues with any of these very public reports and ended up paying a fair price to add the star playmaker.
In pairing Pickens with DK Metcalf, the Steelers’ receiving corps had the potential to be one of the best. Yet, that wasn’t enough motivation to see how well it worked in real life. Now it’s the Cowboys who have the potential to have a top-notch receiving corps thanks to CeeDee Lamb strongly leading the way.
Related: NFL insider expresses ‘concern’ over Dallas Cowboys’ George Pickens trade
