The Pittsburgh Steelers traded George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys last week, and more information is emerging regarding the team’s decision to make the deal.
The Steelers received a 2026 third-round pick and 2027 fifth-round pick from Dallas for Pickens. The Steelers sent a 2027 sixth-round pick to Dallas to complete the deal.
According to Steelers reporter Mark Kaboly, Pittsburgh was adamant that they wouldn’t deal Pickens unless they received at least a third-round pick in return. They reportedly did not receive an offer of that value until after the draft.
Moreover, Kaboli says “significant” locker room guys were “fed up with Pickens” over his antics. Some players thought it would be a bad idea to keep the receiver around.
More on the Steelers trading George Pickens to Dallas:
— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly) May 12, 2025
• Significant locker room guys got fed up with Pickens' antics and quickly got turned off by him for multiple reasons, I was told.
• Some felt that it would be counterproductive to keep him around, even with his unique… pic.twitter.com/TXgebUYMV6
The report isn’t too surprising.
Pickens seemed to throw his team under the bus after their playoff loss to the Ravens earlier this year. He had issues with committing penalties, and he got into a fight with an opposing player on the final play of a game. As if all that weren’t enough, Pickens reportedly had a habit of being tardy.
Pickens finished with 59 catches for 900 yards and 3 touchdowns last season. He had 1,140 yards and 5 touchdowns on 63 receptions the year before. The Steelers took Pickens in the second round of the 2022 draft. He was productive for them but also had his share of problems, which is why they traded him. Now he will be Dallas’ issue. The Cowboys believe they harness Pickens’ productivity.
