George Pickens Is Number 2 — And the Cowboys Just Flushed Draft Capital for Him (Get it?)

George Pickens Traded to the Cowboys

Trade details:

· Cowboys receive: George Pickens + 2027 6th-round pick

· Steelers receive: 2026 3rd-round pick + 2027 5th-round pick

(via Adam Schefter, ESPN)

This confirms what many suspected when Pittsburgh gave DK Metcalf a $132M deal this offseason — they weren’t planning to extend George Pickens.

Pickens is entering the final year of his rookie contract in 2025. Could the Steelers have kept him and used the franchise tag on him in 2026? Technically yes — but it’s projected to cost around $28 million, a steep price for a player who had just 800 yards and four touchdowns last season.

The good news for Pickens? He’s now WR2 on a pass-heavy Cowboys offense. And being WR2 means facing CB2s — that’s a matchup he can feast on. In Pittsburgh, he’d still be WR2 behind DK… but catching passes from Mason Rudolph, Skylar Thompson, or rookie Will Howard in a run-first system. Even if the Steelers land Aaron Rodgers (still not a sure thing), last year’s version of Rodgers wasn’t exactly elite down the stretch.

From the Steelers’ perspective, it’s a solid move. They got better draft capital in return for a player they were unlikely to retain beyond this coming season.

For Dallas, it’s a one-year rental with upside. They get a legit threat opposite CeeDee Lamb without overpaying. The question is whether they can afford to keep Pickens next year (Assuming he does enough for them to want to) — especially with Micah Parsons in line for a huge new deal, and the team currently projected to be 24th in 2026 cap space (via Spotrac).

My take:

· Steelers upgraded draft capital on an expiring asset.

· Cowboys added a talented weapon on a cheap deal.

We know what Pickens is. We don’t know what those draft picks will become.

Edge goes to Dallas…for now.