PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Steelers have finalized a trade that sends wide receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for trade compensation.
Just before 9 a.m. Wednesday, the Cowboys’ official X (formerly Twitter) account announced the trade. The Steelers will send Pickens and a 2026 sixth round pick to Dallas in exchange for the Cowboys’ 2026 third round pick and their 2027 fifth round pick.
Multiple reports emerged in the hours before the official announcement, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter first breaking the news.
Pickens, 24, is entering the final year of his rookie contract after the Steelers selected him out of Georgia in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Despite Pickens leading the team in receiving in each of the last two seasons, the team seemed unlikely to extend him after trading for DK Metcalf in March and signing Metcalf to the largest contract in team history.
Pickens finished the 2024 season with 900 yards on 59 catches and a career-low three touchdowns. He posted at least 50 receptions and at least 800 yards in each of his first three seasons, with his career year coming in 2023 with 1,140 yards on 53 catches and five touchdowns.
The mercurial wide receiver’s time in Pittsburgh was brief but not without controversy. Pickens was at times visibly frustrated on the field and during media sessions. He was seen yelling at the fans at Acrisure Stadium during a home game last season. In January, a report surfaced that he had arrived late to the Steelers’ Christmas Day matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Steelers will be in a familiar spot this offseason, with no clear second receiver to pair with Metcalf, a predicament they found themselves in with Pickens last year after trading Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers last March.
Along with Metcalf, the wide receiver room includes Calvin Austin III, Roman Wilson, Scotty Miller, Ben Skowronek, and newly acquired veteran Robert Woods, who the team signed on May 1. Wilson was selected by the team in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but he remains an unknown quantity after playing just five snaps during his injury-plagued rookie year.
Who will be throwing to any wide receivers remains a question. This news comes as the Steelers have no clear starting quarterback as Aaron Rodgers remains a free agent, despite coach Mike Tomlin and owner Art Rooney II still projecting optimism that a deal will be reached with the four-time MVP. The team re-signed former backup quarterback Mason Rudolph to a two-year deal in March and selected Will Howard in the sixth round of the recent NFL Draft.
The third round pick from Dallas further adds to Pittsburgh’s 2026 draft capital.
The team is projected to be awarded comp picks in rounds three through seven after losing quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, along with offensive tackle Dan Moore and guard James Daniels to free agency.
The Steelers are now slated to have one pick in each of the first, second, sixth, and seventh rounds; two in each of the fourth and fifth rounds; and three in the third round.