The Dallas Cowboys made headlines Wednesday when the team landed wide receiver George Pickens in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers. For Dallas, Pickens provides another receiving threat for quarterback Dak Prescott, opposite All-World wideout CeeDee Lamb. And for Pittsburgh, the team could improve simply by moving on from the fourth-year pro, according to ESPN’s Louis Riddick.
“There comes a point in time where it’s just not a tenable situation anymore. They just feel as though that the talent does not warrant them tolerating whatever issues that the player was causing. And they just say, ‘Hey, look it doesn’t really matter what it looks like on paper, to us, we feel as though this could potentially be quote unquote an addition by subtraction type of situation,’” Riddick theorized when discussing the Steelers’ trade, per NFL on ESPN.
“Yeah, George Pickens is a wonderful talent, but when we look at it in its totality, this is what’s better for the football team. Although everyone who’s a fan of the Steelers and everyone who studies the Steelers from the outside looking in goes, ‘This does not make sense, especially considering the situation at quarterback.’” Riddick added.
Are the Steelers better off without George Pickens?
Pickens has been the Steelers’ leading receiver each of the last two seasons. He had his best year as a pro in 2023 when he caught 63 passes for 1,140 yards and five touchdowns while playing all 17 games. Last year, the wideout was limited to 14 games but still led the Steelers with 900 yards on 59 receptions.
However, the former second-round draft pick has earned a reputation for creating headaches for his coaching staff, as his antics have begun to overshadow his substantial talent. And while he represents a significant upgrade at WR2 for the Cowboys, some believe it’s an experiment that’s bound to fail.
And it’s possible the Cowboys are setting themselves up for failure. Pickens is entering the final year of his rookie contract after being selected by the Steelers in the second round of the 2022 draft. The Cowboys’ plan is to let him play on an expiring deal rather than sign him to an extension after giving up a third-round pick in 2026 to acquire him. Generally speaking, team’s tend to extend players after trading for them.
However, the Cowboys have other contract situations to worry about. Specifically, Dallas is still in contract talks with star defender Micah Parsons, who will enter the fifth and final year of his rookie deal in 2025.
As for the Steelers, the team is still holding out hope that Aaron Rodgers chooses to continue his career in Pittsburgh. Moving on from Pickens is unlikely to impact Rodgers’ decision.
