It’s time for an emergency Steelers Read & React – we’ll be publishing this column once every two weeks instead of every week over this part of the offseason, but sometimes the news is too big to ignore.
Early Wednesday, the Steelers traded wide receiver George Pickens and a 2027 sixth-round pick to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick and 2027 fifth-round pick.
The trade majorly impacts the upcoming season. Was it the right move for the Steelers?
What’s your reaction to the George Pickens trade?
Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images
RB: I wasn't all that shocked by the Pickens trade, but the timing was a bit surprising. After the Steelers’ 2025 NFL Draft concluded with no wide receiver selected and Pickens still on the roster, I figured the team was content with its receiver room entering the new season.
As a result, the Steelers are more or less at the same place they were a year ago when it comes to wide receiver following the Pickens trade. D.K. Metcalf, unlike Pickens, is signed long term at least, and he’s been a slightly more productive receiver over his career. But the Steelers are once again left with a good-not-elite WR1 and no clear WR2.
Ultimately, I think this was a good long-term move for the Steelers. The writing has been on the wall for a while that Pickens wouldn’t be signing a second contract with the Steelers, and the team didn’t look poised to make a Super Bowl run on the last year of his rookie deal. Trading Pickens gives the Steelers a better and earlier return than a compensatory pick would (it also can’t get erased by a free agent signing).
Beyond that, while Pickens’ talent has never been in question, he never quite took the leap the Steelers needed him to in 2024. His season was loud, but ended with just 900 yards and three touchdowns. His second contract would’ve been more about potential than past production, which is a risk considering Pickens’ hot and cold on-field effort. Omar Khan deserves credit for getting a 2026 Day 2 pick in return.
On paper, the trade makes perfect sense even if I personally feel robbed of the Metcalf/Pickens wide receiver combination that would’ve been insanely entertaining in 2025. Oh well.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Steelers’ strategy works out, though. Tanking is a strong word, but the team’s stockpiling of 2026 draft picks makes it clear that their main focus is on future seasons rather than the present.
It’s a reasonable strategy, but it also calls into question why the team has dabbled with a “win now” approach this offseason with their interest in Aaron Rodgers and signing a 34-year-old CB2 in Darius Slay.
Or maybe the Steelers organization has finally moved on from Rodgers, which greenlit the Pickens trade — there’s a theory.
While Metcalf is a long-term replacement for Pickens, the Steelers’ depth at wide receiver is now once again a roster hole. Even if Roman Wilson is better than expected, there’s still a glaring lack of boundary talent. Not drafting a receiver in 2025 could come back to bite the Steelers.
If Pittsburgh does target a wide receiver addition later this offseason to make up for losing Pickens, it can’t be a one-year rental. That would further muddy the waters of the team’s roster-building strategy.
Overall, the Pickens trade is a good move even if it doesn’t look like a surefire “fleecing.” But if there’s one thing the Pittsburgh front office has been overwhelmingly good at over the past few years, it’s knowing when to move on from wide receivers. Martavis Bryant, Antonio Brown, Chase Claypool, Diontae Johnson… every trade was a Nostradamus-level roster move. Maybe this year’s wide receiver trade will look that good in a few seasons as well.
RP: If you’ve read this column over the past year, this outcome is not a surprise to you. We knew heading into last season that 2024 was going to be an important one for Pickens. The Steelers, as well as most NFL players, like to finalize extensions in the summer before the last year of a contract. Both Bickley and I have been skeptical that Pickens would receive such an offer, and after the 2024 season, Pickens no longer seemed like a culture fit for the team, despite his obvious talents.
My immediate reaction was something Ryland and I addressed last week — the Steelers declining to draft a receiver. As Ryland mentioned, it was easy to take that decision as proof the Steelers were willing to ride out the year with Pickens. Now in hindsight, it’s hard to see the Steelers’ vision, even if the individual deal makes sense in a vacuum.
Ultimately, the whole thing came down to timing. Pickens’ character concerns are not some well-kept secret. The Cowboys actually got an up-close look last season of how Pickens can check out of a game when he’s frustrated.
I had completely forgotten about this , and then Jourdan Lewis calling George Pickens “weak” after the game
Lewis, the former Cowboys corner,
said this morning about the trade: “Confirmation, God wanted me in Jacksonville.” #DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/ioOCLnuVaj
— Kevin Gray Jr. (@KevinGraySports) May 7, 2025
The Steelers reportedly tried to move Pickens during the draft, but no team was willing to meet their asking price. The Steelers, meanwhile, knew that trading Pickens for anything less than a Day 2 pick would not recoup enough value to make a trade worthwhile. Pickens may have become a headache for the coaching staff, but his talent level is too high to justify selling him off for pennies on the dollar. Teams may have been unwilling to part with picks from this draft, but unsettled picks in 2026? That’s a lot more palatable, especially for a Dallas team with a ton of roster holes of their own and a habit of pinching pennies when it comes to paying non-superstars.
Now we wait to see if any additional moves are coming. Without any, a lot of pressure will be placed on the shoulders of Calvin Austin III — himself entering a contract year — and Roman Wilson. Can either of them step up into a number two role? Can either of them stay on the field for running downs?
I received some pushback when I questioned if the Steelers erred in passing up a handful of receivers in the fourth round of the draft, but those concerns have now doubled. Since 2022 at least, the Steelers have confusingly toed the line between a full-blown rebuild and a win-now mentality. In an effort to avoid bottoming out, they’ve found themselves consistently stuck in the middle tier of contenders.
Right now, it’s unclear what the Steelers' goals for 2025 actually are. Much of that rides on who is playing quarterback, but even a grand farewell tour from Rodgers might not lift them out of mediocrity.
Over the next several months, the organization will have even tougher questions to answer. I still believe they will extend TJ Watt, but the Steelers have made several surprising moves in the Omar Khan era. Would they really consider leaning into the skid and trade away Watt? If so, could Minkah Fitzpatrick also be sent out of town? I don’t think we can rule out anything.
Buckle in, folks, the 2025 season might be a bumpy one. Here’s hoping it’s worth it when the draft comes to Pittsburgh in 2026.
Join in on Steelers R&R by sharing your takes on this week’s topic. What’s your reaction to the George Pickens trade? Let us know in the comments! Feel free to pitch future questions in the comment section or on Twitter/X: tag @_Ryland_B or @RyanParishMedia.
