FRISCO - Turns out that because Aaron Rodgers prefers throwing passes to DK Metcalf, he helped have George Pickens thrown out of Pittsburgh and into the waiting arms of the Dallas Cowboys.
According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Steelers felt pressured to trade Pickens because of the arrival of Rodgers and potential locker room tension that would bring. The Cowboys traded for Pickens to make him Dak Prescott's No. 2 receiver behind CeeDee Lamb.
“The Steelers moved on from Pickens for a few reasons,” Fowler writes. “His maturity issues were well-known within Pittsburgh’s locker room and front office. So, the Steelers made the evaluation that Pickens and Rodgers probably would not hit it off.”
Given his recent history of damaging team chemistry - last year he skipped New York Jets' minicamp to vacation in Egypt - it's ironic the Steelers felt it necessary to get rid of trouble-maker under the guise of smoothing the waters for Rodgers.
Pickens' history of on-field fights and tardy attendance to team functions have been well documented. He may be just 24 years old, but the character concerns were real, and Mike Tomlin, among the sternest head coaches around, had had enough.
Pickens is entering a contract year, and all indications show that he's on the straight and narrow in Dallas so far. Meanwhile, the 41-year-old Rodgers likely knows he's near the end of the road, so maybe he could clean up his frequent controversies and attention-seeking ploys in search of a successful last ride.
While it's unclear whether Rodgers proactively demanded Pickens be moved before he signed as a free agent, it's more than plausible.