In a surprising move, the Pittsburgh Steelers have dealt wideout George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys. This trade signals an important transform from the teams’ roster. That’s exactly the type of player the Steelers want to draft. They flipped a 2024 seventh-round pick for a 2024 fifth-round pick. This move reflects the organization’s continuing issues with Pickens’ behavior throughout his tenure in Pittsburgh. These issues have already led to the unceremonious shipping off of other franchise wide receivers via trade.
George Pickens, at one point considered a potential breakout star of the league, ended his tenure with Pittsburgh. He piled up a gaudy 1,084 receiving yards spread across three seasons. As talented as he was, his immaturity and attitude issues on and off the field were too big of an area of concern for the Steelers’ brass. Head Coach Mike Tomlin has demonstrated really good judgment about the character of Pickens. He noted the strong due diligence the team did before signing him. Despite repeated second chances, controversial incidents over the course of his career eventually forced him out.
The Steelers have dealt Pickens and this is far from the team’s first controversial move. In fact, they have recent precedent for cutting wide receivers that develop off-the-field issues. Each of their notable players, namely Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, Martavis Bryant and Antonio Brown have all seen trades. They had been relocated for the same rationale. The trend points to a deeper issue that has long plagued the Steelers, and that’s their struggles to handle talented but problematic players.
The Steelers have moved Pickens and improved their receiving corps. For names, they’ve brought in veteran wideouts Robert Woods, Allen Robinson, and Van Jefferson on one-year contracts. It would appear the front office is committed to establishing a more consistent foundation for their signal-callers, and the pursuit of a Lombardi trophy. General Manager Omar Khan mentioned, “We’re chasing a championship, and every decision we make is based on trying to win a championship not only in the future but this year.”
Tomlin defended Pickens earlier this season, stating, “This guy is doing everything that we ask him to. He’s playing good ball. A lot of people have incidents in their college background. I’m certainly not going to hold that against him.” When the issues piled up, the message received was that it was time for the franchise to stop trying to make Baker work.
Few have proclaimed their commitment to self-advancement this offseason more than Cowboys rookie George Pickens. He stated, “Me, personally, I just continue to grow. I feel like everybody in the world has to grow. You get older and older as you grow, and I’m just trying to build a winning culture, which they already have at the Cowboys. I’m just glad to be joining it.” His trade to Dallas stands as the perfect opportunity for his redemption arc—both for himself and his ability to help lead a once-again competitive team.
Even with his exit from Pittsburgh, the Steelers have a strong track record of finding and drafting productive wideouts. From Mike Wallace to Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown, Pitt has historically been a stronghold at this position. Since 2007, only 16 wide receivers have been drafted that were eligible for extensions. Shocking as it may sound, only three of them went on to sign a second contract, suggesting a major player retention problem at this key position.
Art Rooney II acknowledged the challenges associated with managing talented but unpredictable players. He remarked, “I think every team seems to have one or two guys in that room that you have to manage them correctly.” This welcome recognition is only merited when franchises strike the right balance between developing high-potential athletes and presumably less-capable players.
Former Georgia WR George Pickens is beginning a new ball with the Cowboys. At the same time, the Steelers have shown that he won’t get a second contract in Pittsburgh — their way of indicating that they’re ready to move on without him. The overall impact of the trade extends far beyond a simple player-for-player swap. It gives Pickens and the Steelers an opportunity to continue to find success on their respective journeys.
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