It came late in the offseason, and it was rather surprising considering the timing, but the Pittsburgh Steelers trading wide receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2026 third-round pick, along with late-round pick swaps in 2027, is the best move the Steelers have made all offseason.
At least, that’s how The Athletic’s Mike Sando sees it.
In a piece for The Athletic Thursday morning, Sando chose the Pickens trade as his favorite Steelers move of the offseason, stating that Pittsburgh got some decent value out of the trade, which he considers a win, even if the move opened up hole offensively for the Black and Gold.
“Getting a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth from Dallas for receiver George Pickens and a 2027 sixth might have been the Steelers’ best move, especially after DK Metcalf’s arrival signaled the end for Pickens in Pittsburgh,” Sando writes. “There hasn’t been much to like about this Steelers offseason from a quarterback standpoint, no matter what happens with [Aaron] Rodgers. Acquiring and paying Metcalf didn’t seem like the most logical move, either.
“But Pickens had to go, so getting decent value was a win for Pittsburgh.”
When the Steelers acquired DK Metcalf via trade with the Seattle Seahawks earlier in the offseason and handed him a significant extension, that did spell the end of Pickens in Pittsburgh, even if GM Omar Khan and head coach Mike Tomlin downplayed it, stating that they planned on having Pickens with Metcalf in 2025 to try to create a better passing attack.
After keeping Pickens on the roster through the 2025 NFL Draft despite some trade chatter, it seemed like Pickens would make it to his fourth season with Pittsburgh. But that ultimately wasn’t the case as the Steelers and Cowboys struck a deal, sending Pickens to the Lone Star State.
Pickens is in a better situation with Dak Prescott at quarterback and CeeDee Lamb opposite him at receiver. But the Steelers are better off, too, not having to deal with the headaches from Pickens in what is a contract year for the former second-round pick.
The move also gives the Steelers more draft capital for the 2026 NFL Draft, which will be in Pittsburgh. There, the Steelers should be in a good spot to land a potential franchise quarterback in what has the makings of a great class at the position.
If they’re able to do that, it will be all worth it.
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