The addition of George Pickens has made the Cowboys’ passing attack one of, if not the best in the NFL. The duo of Pickens and fellow Dallas wide receiver CeeDee Lamb has been an impossible riddle for opposing defenses to crack, and that was again the case on Thursday night, when the Cowboys defeated the Chiefs on Thanksgiving.
Dallas, of course, acquired Pickens from the Steelers in an exchange for a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick. Needless to say, that’s a trade Cowboys fans would make 10 times out of 10. They’ll certainly be feeling like winners of the deal, especially if the organization is able to sign Pickens to an extension.
One glaring stat shows just how significant the trade has been for the Cowboys, and why the Steelers may be regretting letting Pickens walk at such a low cost. This season, after a six-catch, 88-yard performance on Thursday, Pickens is up to 1,142 receiving yards, which is more than the 1,082 receiving yards amassed by the entirety of Pittsburgh’s wide receiver corps.
DK Metcalf leads the Steelers with 573 receiving yards. Calvin Austin III is second among wide receivers with 278. Behind them, second-year receiver Roman Wilson has 166 yards and Ben Skowronek has 56. The only other wide receiver with a catch this year is Scott Miller, who has nine yards.
Of course, Aaron Rodgers often looks to his tight ends and running backs, such as Pat Freiermuth, Jaylen Warren, Jonnu Smith and others. Still, on his own, Pickens is outpacing the entire Steelers receivers room with his production this season, and he’s planted himself in the race to win Offensive Player of the Year.
Pickens has quickly become a fan favorite in Dallas, and the the team will think back fondly knowing it only had to part ways with a pair of mid-round draft picks in order to land him in the offseason.
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