The Dallas Cowboys are set to acquire WR George Pickens and a 2027 sixth round pick from the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a 2026 third rounder, and a 2027 fifth round selection.
The move bolsters a Cowboys offence which struggled to move the ball through the air or on the ground last season after starting QB Dak Prescott went down with an injury. According to reports, the club was targeting Arizona wideout Tetairoa McMillan in the draft, but were forced to change plans after Carolina selected him 8th overall.
Pickens has had a productive, but combative first few seasons in the NFL. The former 2nd round selection regularly made highlight reel catches with Pittsburgh, but often clashed with opponents on field resulting in fines, and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.
The 24 year old hauled in 59 passes for 900 yards and 3 TDs last season as Pittsburgh cycled through quarterbacks. According to reports, the Cowboys are in no rush to extend Pickens, and will instead let him play out the final year of his contract before entering into any kind of long term negotiations.
With Pickens out of the equation, the Steelers offence has more questions than answers at the moment. They’re currently without an entrenched starter at quarterback as the “will he, won’t he” saga with Aaron Rodgers continues. Former top running back Najee Harris is now a member of the Los Angeles Chargers following the offseason. And beyond WR DK Metcalf, whom the team acquired via trade, the team’s pass catching group is made up of Calvin Austin III, Roman Wilson, Scotty Miller, Ben Skowronek, and Robert Woods.
With no clear answer under centre, and the team preparing to host the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, some have begun to speculate that Mike Tomlin’s fabled run of winning seasons may soon be coming to an end. And by design as well.
With Arch Manning projected to be the number 1 overall selection next year, it’s quite possible the Steelers use 2025 as a “rebuild” year in an effort to usher in a new era in Steel-Town.
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