The Dallas Cowboys struck a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers at sunrise Wednesday, as Dallas is sending a third-round pick to Pittsburgh and swapping Day 3 picks for star wide receiver George Pickens. After the Cowboys surprisingly passed on selecting a single wide receiver in the 2025 NFL Draft, CeeDee Lamb has his new running mate.
The Cowboys desperately needed to make a move at wide receiver. Apart from Lamb, this room included Jalen Tolbert, Jonathan Mingo, KaVontae Turpin and Parris Campbell. Last season, Pickens caught 59 passes for 900 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games played. He caught 12 passes of 30+ air yards, which were the second-most recorded since the statistic was first tracked in 2006.
While the 24-year-old hasn’t made a Pro Bowl or been selected to an All-Pro team, Pickens is viewed as a very talented wideout with a high ceiling. His 2,841 receiving yards are the third-most for any Steelers wideout in their first three seasons, trailing just Mike Wallace and JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Who won this trade? Below, we will attempt to grade this transaction. First, here are the full details:
Cowboys get: WR George Pickens, 2027 sixth-round pick
Steelers get: 2026 third-round pick, 2027 fifth-round pick
Cowboys: A-
At 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, Pickens is a legitimate perimeter threat that should have Dak Prescott giddy. He will open up things for Lamb, and vice versa. On paper, the Cowboys just created one of the best wide receiver duos in the league. After last year’s incredibly disappointing offseason and the forgettable 2024 campaign that followed, these are the kinds of moves that Cowboys fans want to see from Jerry Jones.
As for the cons, Pickens has struggled to hold his emotions in check and cost his team yards with penalties, plus he has just one more year remaining on his rookie deal. The Cowboys would be losers in this trade if the 2025 season were to be a failure and Pickens left in free agency. However, this is the kind of swing I like to see from a team that wants to win football games.
Dallas has been busy with trades as of late. Dating back to last season’s trade deadline, the Cowboys have made five trades. Dallas sent the Carolina Panthers a fourth-round pick for wide receiver Jonathan Mingo plus a seventh-round pick, acquired Buffalo Bills cornerback Kaiir Elam in a late-round pick swap, picked up Tennessee Titans linebacker Kenneth Murray in a 2025 late-round pick swap, added New England Patriots quarterback Joe Milton III to the roster for a fifth-round pick and now Pickens is on his way to Dallas.
Steelers: B-
The Steelers did trade for and extend DK Metcalf this offseason, so parting ways with Pickens is not the biggest surprise in the world. But if you were to go back in time and tell yourself that the Steelers would be trading Pickens away for a third-round pick, you would be pretty disappointed. This was a wide receiver that had legitimate WR1 potential, and he led the league in yards per reception (18.1) in 2023 while recording his first 1,000-yard receiving campaign with 1,140 yards and five touchdowns on 63 receptions. However, he never reached his ceiling in Pittsburgh — for a number of reasons. One, Pickens suffered through inconsistent quarterback play, which included Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, Mason Rudolph, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, but Pickens also hurt himself.
There’s zero doubt Pickens struggled to control his emotions on the field. He was fined $20,462 for two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in a close game against the Cincinnati Bengals last season, leading head coach Mike Tomlin to say his wide receiver has to “grow up in a hurry.” Pickens also scuffled with Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II at the end of an entertaining Week 12 affair, and was held back by security and at least one official. There were shouting matches with fans and coaches, and he even pulled down Jourdan Lewis by his face mask when the Steelers faced the Cowboys last year.
On one hand, Pickens’ frustrations are a representation of Steelers’ fans frustrations with the offense’s performance over the past few years, but at the same time, this was a legitimate talent that Pittsburgh and Tomlin were unable to develop. It would be a shame if he blossoms in another situation.
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Flamengo anuncia Rodrigo Caio como seu novo auxiliar técnico
Rodrigo Caio, novo auxiliar técnico do Flamengo (Site oficial Flamengo) Nesta terça-feira (13), o Flamengo oficializou o retorno de Rodrigo Caio. Depois de uma passagem vitoriosa no clube, o agora ex-zagueiro irá exercer o cargo de auxiliar técnico. Será o primeiro desafio do ex-jogador fora dos campos, em seu reencontro com Filipe Luís, seu companheiro na Gávea durante seu primeiro período na equipe carioca. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE Importante citar que Rodrigo Caio fará parte da comissão técnica permanente. Dessa forma, ele seguirá no cargo mesmo em caso de uma eventual saída / demissão do atual treinador. “A chegada de Rodrigo Caio faz parte de um projeto estratégico da Diretoria de Futebol, que busca integrar à comissão técnica profissionais preparados, com identidade rubro-negra e histórico de conquistas com o Manto Sagrado. A presença de um jogador que marcou época no clube tem […]
Flamengo anuncia Rodrigo Caio como seu novo auxiliar técnico
Rodrigo Caio, novo auxiliar técnico do Flamengo (Site oficial Flamengo) Nesta terça-feira (13), o Flamengo oficializou o retorno de Rodrigo Caio. Depois de uma passagem vitoriosa no clube, o agora ex-zagueiro irá exercer o cargo de auxiliar técnico. Será o primeiro desafio do ex-jogador fora dos campos, em seu reencontro com Filipe Luís, seu companheiro na Gávea durante seu primeiro período na equipe carioca. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE Importante citar que Rodrigo Caio fará parte da comissão técnica permanente. Dessa forma, ele seguirá no cargo mesmo em caso de uma eventual saída / demissão do atual treinador. “A chegada de Rodrigo Caio faz parte de um projeto estratégico da Diretoria de Futebol, que busca integrar à comissão técnica profissionais preparados, com identidade rubro-negra e histórico de conquistas com o Manto Sagrado. A presença de um jogador que marcou época no clube tem […]
New USMNT, USWNT kits feature classic looks with a nod to an iconic throwback
It took Peter Moore about 30 minutes at a Xerox machine in 1993 to create the most iconic piece of design in American soccer history.Moore had made his name years earlier at Nike, as the designer of the first Air Jordan sneaker and the iconic “Jumpman” logo. He’d helped grow the sportswear and shoe brand from a tiny Oregon startup to a global titan before leaving for Adidas in the early 90s. There, he’d continued knocking almost every design out of the park. By the time Moore stood at the copy machine, most of the world’s soccer jerseys bore the ascending three stripes of the modern Adidas logo that he’d designed.AdvertisementThis was not Moore’s first soccer project. Among his first tasks at Adidas had been designing the beautiful, baggy men’s and women’s kits they’d worn in the early 90s, with […]
„Sehr stolz auf dich” – Ronaldo-Sohn feiert Debüt für Portugal
Mini-CR7 erstmals im Nationaltrikot!Cristiano Ronaldo (40) ist mächtig stolz – und das nicht wegen eines weiteren persönlichen Rekords, sondern wegen seines Sohnes!Lesen Sie auch<!-->[-->Cristiano Ronaldo Júnior (14) hat sein erstes Länderspiel für die U15-Nationalmannschaft Portugals absolviert. Beim 4:1-Sieg gegen Japan wurde der Sprössling des Weltstars in der 54. Minute eingewechselt. Ein Tor gelang ihm nicht – aber allein der Einsatz war für Vater Ronaldo ein emotionaler Moment.Auf der Plattform X schrieb der fünfmalige Weltfußballer: „Herzlichen Glückwunsch zu deinem Debüt in Portugals Auswahlteam, Sohn. Bin sehr stolz auf dich!“ Dazu teilte er Fotos seines Juniors im Spiel mit den markanten Locken und im Nationaltrikot. An dieser Stelle findest du Inhalte aus Twitter Um mit Inhalten aus Twitter und anderen sozialen Netzwerken zu interagieren oder diese darzustellen, brauchen wir deine Zustimmung. soziale Netzwerke aktivieren Um eingebettete Inhalte anzuzeigen, ist Ihre jederzeit widerrufliche […]
PGA Championship: Is completing a career grand slam better than winning more majors?
Tuesday is a packed day at the PGA Championship, with a combined 24 majors’ worth of champions taking their turn at the media podium. Here’s a rundown of the major quotes, topics and storylines that emerged from the day.Jon Rahm: Lessons learned from a decade of majorsJon Rahm arrives in Charlotte in a good news-bad news situation. Good news is, he’s playing well; bad news is, he’s only been testing himself in LIV Golf fields. He finished T14 at the Masters last month, and has struggled at the PGA Championship. In nine starts, he has no finish higher than T4, and his missed cut last year was his first at any major since 2019.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAs he began his press conference, he shook his head at the fact that he’s been doing this for a decade now. “It goes by fast,” he […]
Rizek crava ‘vantagem’ do Palmeiras sobre o Flamengo hoje: “Encaminhou”
Palmeiras e Flamengo pelo Brasileirão 2024 - Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images Classificado para as oitavas de final da Libertadores e líder do Brasileirão, o Palmeiras tem uma vantagem significativa sobre o Flamengo. Segundo André Rizek, o Rubro-Negro, com chances de eliminação na fase de grupos, vai usar força máxima nestas duas últimas rodadas. Por outro lado, o Verdão poderá preservar aqueles mais desgastados fisicamente e focar exclusivamente na Série A, podendo até mesmo abrir uma distância maior sobre seu rival. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE “Até nisso o Palmeiras tem uma vantagem muito grande em relação ao Flamengo, já encaminhou na Libertadores. Ele vai poder descansar, digo no modo de falar, poupar jogadores nos jogos em casa na Libertadores e mesmo poupando tende a ganhar. Agora, o Flamengo não pode fazer, Bahia, Inter, Botafogo”, disse Rizek. “O Palmeiras tem essa vantagem e também poderá […]
Related
Flamengo anuncia Rodrigo Caio como seu novo auxiliar técnico
Rodrigo Caio, novo auxiliar técnico do Flamengo (Site oficial Flamengo) Nesta terça-feira (13), o Flamengo oficializou o retorno de Rodrigo Caio. Depois de uma passagem vitoriosa no clube, o agora ex-zagueiro irá exercer o cargo de auxiliar técnico. Será o primeiro desafio do ex-jogador fora dos campos, em seu reencontro com Filipe Luís, seu companheiro na Gávea durante seu primeiro período na equipe carioca. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE Importante citar que Rodrigo Caio fará parte da comissão técnica permanente. Dessa forma, ele seguirá no cargo mesmo em caso de uma eventual saída / demissão do atual treinador. “A chegada de Rodrigo Caio faz parte de um projeto estratégico da Diretoria de Futebol, que busca integrar à comissão técnica profissionais preparados, com identidade rubro-negra e histórico de conquistas com o Manto Sagrado. A presença de um jogador que marcou época no clube tem […]
Flamengo anuncia Rodrigo Caio como seu novo auxiliar técnico
Rodrigo Caio, novo auxiliar técnico do Flamengo (Site oficial Flamengo) Nesta terça-feira (13), o Flamengo oficializou o retorno de Rodrigo Caio. Depois de uma passagem vitoriosa no clube, o agora ex-zagueiro irá exercer o cargo de auxiliar técnico. Será o primeiro desafio do ex-jogador fora dos campos, em seu reencontro com Filipe Luís, seu companheiro na Gávea durante seu primeiro período na equipe carioca. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE Importante citar que Rodrigo Caio fará parte da comissão técnica permanente. Dessa forma, ele seguirá no cargo mesmo em caso de uma eventual saída / demissão do atual treinador. “A chegada de Rodrigo Caio faz parte de um projeto estratégico da Diretoria de Futebol, que busca integrar à comissão técnica profissionais preparados, com identidade rubro-negra e histórico de conquistas com o Manto Sagrado. A presença de um jogador que marcou época no clube tem […]
New USMNT, USWNT kits feature classic looks with a nod to an iconic throwback
It took Peter Moore about 30 minutes at a Xerox machine in 1993 to create the most iconic piece of design in American soccer history.Moore had made his name years earlier at Nike, as the designer of the first Air Jordan sneaker and the iconic “Jumpman” logo. He’d helped grow the sportswear and shoe brand from a tiny Oregon startup to a global titan before leaving for Adidas in the early 90s. There, he’d continued knocking almost every design out of the park. By the time Moore stood at the copy machine, most of the world’s soccer jerseys bore the ascending three stripes of the modern Adidas logo that he’d designed.AdvertisementThis was not Moore’s first soccer project. Among his first tasks at Adidas had been designing the beautiful, baggy men’s and women’s kits they’d worn in the early 90s, with […]
„Sehr stolz auf dich” – Ronaldo-Sohn feiert Debüt für Portugal
Mini-CR7 erstmals im Nationaltrikot!Cristiano Ronaldo (40) ist mächtig stolz – und das nicht wegen eines weiteren persönlichen Rekords, sondern wegen seines Sohnes!Lesen Sie auch<!-->[-->Cristiano Ronaldo Júnior (14) hat sein erstes Länderspiel für die U15-Nationalmannschaft Portugals absolviert. Beim 4:1-Sieg gegen Japan wurde der Sprössling des Weltstars in der 54. Minute eingewechselt. Ein Tor gelang ihm nicht – aber allein der Einsatz war für Vater Ronaldo ein emotionaler Moment.Auf der Plattform X schrieb der fünfmalige Weltfußballer: „Herzlichen Glückwunsch zu deinem Debüt in Portugals Auswahlteam, Sohn. Bin sehr stolz auf dich!“ Dazu teilte er Fotos seines Juniors im Spiel mit den markanten Locken und im Nationaltrikot. An dieser Stelle findest du Inhalte aus Twitter Um mit Inhalten aus Twitter und anderen sozialen Netzwerken zu interagieren oder diese darzustellen, brauchen wir deine Zustimmung. soziale Netzwerke aktivieren Um eingebettete Inhalte anzuzeigen, ist Ihre jederzeit widerrufliche […]
PGA Championship: Is completing a career grand slam better than winning more majors?
Tuesday is a packed day at the PGA Championship, with a combined 24 majors’ worth of champions taking their turn at the media podium. Here’s a rundown of the major quotes, topics and storylines that emerged from the day.Jon Rahm: Lessons learned from a decade of majorsJon Rahm arrives in Charlotte in a good news-bad news situation. Good news is, he’s playing well; bad news is, he’s only been testing himself in LIV Golf fields. He finished T14 at the Masters last month, and has struggled at the PGA Championship. In nine starts, he has no finish higher than T4, and his missed cut last year was his first at any major since 2019.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAs he began his press conference, he shook his head at the fact that he’s been doing this for a decade now. “It goes by fast,” he […]
Rizek crava ‘vantagem’ do Palmeiras sobre o Flamengo hoje: “Encaminhou”
Palmeiras e Flamengo pelo Brasileirão 2024 - Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images Classificado para as oitavas de final da Libertadores e líder do Brasileirão, o Palmeiras tem uma vantagem significativa sobre o Flamengo. Segundo André Rizek, o Rubro-Negro, com chances de eliminação na fase de grupos, vai usar força máxima nestas duas últimas rodadas. Por outro lado, o Verdão poderá preservar aqueles mais desgastados fisicamente e focar exclusivamente na Série A, podendo até mesmo abrir uma distância maior sobre seu rival. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE “Até nisso o Palmeiras tem uma vantagem muito grande em relação ao Flamengo, já encaminhou na Libertadores. Ele vai poder descansar, digo no modo de falar, poupar jogadores nos jogos em casa na Libertadores e mesmo poupando tende a ganhar. Agora, o Flamengo não pode fazer, Bahia, Inter, Botafogo”, disse Rizek. “O Palmeiras tem essa vantagem e também poderá […]
Be the first to leave a comment