PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers have lost patience with wide receiver George Pickens, finalizing a trade on Wednesday that transfers the skilled yet unpredictable 24-year-old to the Dallas Cowboys.
The Steelers will receive a third-round selection in the 2026 draft and a fifth-round pick in 2027. The Cowboys receive a sixth-round pick in two years.
ESPN was the first to report on the trade.
Pickens is on the verge of starting the last year of the rookie contract he signed in 2022 after the Steelers drafted the former Georgia standout in the second round.
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Pickens has dedicated his initial three seasons in the NFL to being both effective and rebellious, combining impressive receptions with moments of childish behavior throughout.
Pickens becomes part of a Cowboys offense that requires an additional deep threat to complement star CeeDee Lamb. Last year, the second-best pass receiver for Dallas after Lamb was tight end Jake Ferguson, while Jalen Tolbert followed in a distant third with his modest 49 catches.
Dallas overlooked the necessity for a No. 2 receiver in the draft, as first-year Coach Brian Schottenheimer mentioned he appreciated the young talent already present on the team. Owner and General Manager Jerry Jones mentioned prior to the draft that the Cowboys were looking into “substantive” trades. This counts as one.
The Steelers, especially Coach Mike Tomlin, often supported Pickens as he faced what the team commonly referred to as a kind of growing pains while adapting to the NFL lifestyle. Pickens has proven to be one of the most energetic receivers in the league when he’s active and focused, which isn’t guaranteed all the time. In 2023, Pickens topped the league with an average of 18.1 yards per reception and has tallied 174 catches for 2,841 yards and 12 touchdowns over 48 games.
Still, he has continually found it difficult to manage his emotions. In the previous season, he twice concluded matches by engaging in confrontations with rival defensive backs, initially when he yanked Dallas’ Jourdan Lewis by the facemask and subsequently when he struggled with Cleveland’s Greg Newsome II instead of positioning himself for a final Hail Mary attempt.