Pittsburgh standout George Pickens was recently traded to the Dallas Cowboys. The Steelers gave up Pickens and a 2026 sixth-round pick. In return they got a third-round pick next year and a fifth-round pick in 2027 from Dallas. This trade made sense for both sides as Dallas needed a vertical threat and the Steelers didn’t look like they were going to resign him. Unfortunately I still get the nagging feeling that Pittsburgh could’ve gotten a better deal for George Pickens.
Pittsburgh’s Haul
George Pickens is a very valuable receiver with a ton of upside. He had 59 receptions for 900 yards and 3 touchdowns. If he hadn’t missed three games due to a hamstring injury, he probably would’ve been a 1,00 yard WR. Pickens has elite contested catch skills, being able to make highlight worthy catches every season. With that being said, because of his age and traits I thought that the Steelers could’ve gotten more. Chase Claypool was traded for a very early second rounder. I thought something similar could’ve gone down for George. I am a little disappointed that they gave him up so easily. There are character concerns with Pickens, but there is no denying he’s got insane potential.
Steelers WR Room
The biggest worry about the Steelers at the end of last year was their offense. They had no set QB and their WR Room was nothing outside of Pickens. Tomlin traded for DK Metcalf, which instantly gave them an exciting receiver room. Now that looks like a mistake as he has a huge contract that they are stuck paying for. Metcalf isn’t going to get production being the only threat on the offense. There are no WR1 or 2 talents behind him. Pittsburgh is planning to start Rudolph or Howard this season, so that leaves Metcalf in a struggling passing offense. Calvin Austin and Robert Woods who are both okay, but not good enough to be a real threat. Getting rid of Pickens really killed an already below average offense. I don’t expect them to be anywhere above the bottom 5 now due to the trade.
Bad Timing to Trade
Now I do understand wanting to trade Pickens away. He is on the last year of his deal, and he’s too inconsistent to get the money he’ll want. His hands and ability to control his body mid-air is amazing. Outside of that George has struggle in his route running and getting more yards after the catch. he isn’t shifty enough to make people miss, so his YAC yards could use improvement. Pittsburgh has DK Metcalf on the roster who is just a better version of Pickens at this moment. What I don’ t understand is trading him now. Why not trade him during the draft to move up and get another young guy? Why not trade him mid season when a team will be desperate for a receiver and is willing to give up a lot? I just think this time between the draft and the start of the preseason is a very weird time to get rid of a key piece like this.
What’s Next for The Steelers?
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ had a tough situation heading into the 2025-26 season before the trade. This offense was in a bad spot before losing one of its’ best pieces. Now they are looking at another season where the defense will have to carry if they want to win games. In a division where Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow are their competition. The idea of starting fresh is still out there too. Getting value from Minkah and T.J. isn’t the worst idea if they wanted to fully commit to the rebuild. Knowing how the Steelers operate though, they won’t do that and stick with what they have. Pittsburgh will somehow sneak into the wild card and get crushed because their roster just isn’t good enough to compete in January.
