George Pickens
Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images
Not surprisingly, the Pittsburgh Steelers have made some significant changes following their loss of the final five games of the season last year. While unexpected, one of those changes was trading No. 1 wide receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys.
Aside from the actual trade, which involved the Steelers getting a 2026 third-round pick plus a 2027 fifth-round pick in return, the biggest surprise was the timing since it occurred after the 2025 NFL Draft. Typically, most of the biggest trades occur either before or even during the draft, giving teams the chance to see an immediate return on their trade.
Yet, that wasn’t the case in Pittsburgh, who made the move on May 7, just a few weeks after the NFL Draft ended. So, what led to the Pickens trade?
According to the new Cowboys receiver, the Steelers only traded him because Pickens “forced” the move. He said as much online in a response to a video highlighting his various mistakes and questionable decisions shared on X, though Pickens’ response has since been deleted.
Yet, these days, what gets posted online lasts forever, with several online sleuths capturing Pickens’ comment before he had the chance to remove it. Here’s what he said.
“I forced buddy. They were gladly keeping me … have a nice day and a blessed one my guy,”
George Pickens on his trade from Steelers
The entire exchange, as captured by PennLive with screenshots, can be viewed here.
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