Following George Pickens’ trade to the Dallas Cowboys, the Steelers’ offense has been set back to square one — in more ways than one might imagine.
Steelers’ WR room is no better than in 2024
Acquiring DK Metcalf from the Seahawks was a fantastic decision — but it means very little now that Pickens has been traded away in a bargain sale. The Steelers now face a troubling and all-too-familiar scenario heading into 2025: the lack of a true WR2. GM Omar Khan shot down rumors of trading Pickens, citing that they didn’t acquire Metcalf just to lose another talented wide receiver — but that’s exactly what happened. Many have argued that the Steelers should have pulled the plug on Pickens before or during the 2025 NFL Draft to make the transition smoother, but honestly, the Steelers made the move one year too early.
Steelers sacrificed 2026 NFL Draft leverage by trading Pickens early
It was long rumored that the Steelers were interested in trading Pickens — but at the right price, and at the right time. The price in question would have been to trade up to acquire a talented QB prospect — and the time was speculated to be the 2026 NFL Draft. Pickens’ talents could have been used to create a more dangerous offense this season, and after 2025, the decision should have been simple: franchise tag and trade him. Insider Gerry Dulac had also hinted at this potential plan coming to fruition, and it made a lot of sense. But the Steelers sacrificed any opportunity to fully utilize Pickens’ trade value at next year’s draft — which is loaded with talented QB prospects.
The Steelers, for some reason, valued a third- and fifth-round pick over using Pickens in 2025 and shipping him away during the 2026 NFL Draft — a move that could come back to haunt Pittsburgh’s offense for years to come.
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