After months of rumors, the Pittsburgh Steelers have traded wide receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys.
The deal sends the talented but controversial wide receiver to Dallas while Pittsburgh gets two draft picks, hitting the reset button at the position after Pickens’ visible frustration throughout last season.
Former NFL head coach Jay Gruden was candid when discussing the trade during a recent Underdog segment, offering a brutally honest assessment of the situation.
“Pittsburgh’s got to be happy. This is not Mike Tomlin’s type of guy,” Gruden said of Pickens. “He’s made some big plays in Pittsburgh, and I know the fans like him, but this guy does not participate in the running game. He gets very selfish at times. His body language has been poor for the last couple years, and I think it’s time for him to get out of there.”
“Pittsburgh’s got to be happy. This is not Mike Tomlin’s type of guy.”
Jay Gruden reacts to the Steelers trading away George Pickens to the Cowboys ✌️ pic.twitter.com/WkiWipwU58
— Underdog (@Underdog) May 7, 2025
The trade makes sense on several levels.
The Cowboys desperately needed a reliable second option at receiver, while the Steelers managed to extract some value from a deteriorating relationship.
Pickens made no effort to hide his dissatisfaction in Pittsburgh, which likely impacted his trade value across the league.
The Steelers received a third-round and a fifth-round pick in the deal, a solid return that could develop into valuable players if used wisely.
Questions now loom about the Pittsburgh receivers moving forward.
Will D.K. Metcalf shoulder the entire load? Can Calvin Austin III step up into a larger role? Will tight end Pat Freiermuth see more targets?
Most importantly, who will be throwing these passes when the 2025 season begins?
Meanwhile, the Cowboys addressed a pressing void. Their receiver depth chart behind CeeDee Lamb was notably thin, featuring Jalen Tolbert, KaVontae Turpin and Jonathan Mingo, with tight end Jake Ferguson also contributing to the passing attack.
