The Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers shocked the NFL world Wednesday morning, answering one team’s question at WR2 and creating one for the other.
The Steelers sent embattled-but-talented receiver George Pickens and a 2027 sixth-round pick to the Cowboys in exchange for Dallas’s third-round selection next year and a fifth-round pick in 2027.
Predictably, the football-loving world has a lot to say on the move — and not just because of its on-field implications.
From a between-the-lines standpoint, the move makes plenty of sense for Dallas. Pickens is just 24-years-old, has had at least 50 catches and 800 yards in each of his first three seasons and figures to pair with the Cowboys’ bona fide No. 1 receiver CeeDee Lamb to create matchup nightmares for opposing defenses.
Ability however, is not where the issues lie.
Pickens Has a Problem With His Temper
Despite his ability as a 6-foot-3 receiver with speed and an absurd catch radius that enables him to make spectacular grabs on almost a weekly basis, Pickens is first and foremost known as a hothead.
Just last season, Pickens — playing in a mostly bland offense that struggled to push the ball down the field and score points consistently — let his frustrations boil over on several occasions.
Ironically, one of those came against the Cowboys when Pickens threw down then-Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis by his facemask at the end of a loss.
After a particularly moody game in Week 13 of last season, one in which Pickens was flagged twice for unsportsmanlike conduct in a win over the Bengals, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin publicly shared his feelings on the receiver.
“He’s got to grow up,” Tomlin said. “He’s got to grow up in a hurry.”
Cowboys Fans Seem Happy With the Move
Cowboys owner and GM Jerry Jones is no stranger to bringing in players who toe the line between talented and irresponsible. Names like Terrell Owens, Greg Hardy, Aldon Smith and now Pickens have become a staple in Dallas.
Despite the perception of the move, there is a world in which this works.
Dak Prescott, coming off a season in which he missed the final nine games with a hamstring injury, has thrown for at least 4,400 yards and 30 touchdowns in his last three healthy seasons and will almost certainly benefit from another weapon outside of Lamb.
There are still questions surrounding a defense that was bad a year ago, and the Cowboys will be breaking in a new head coach in Brian Schottenheimer.
But if nothing else, the offense should be fun. Pickens is in the final year of his rookie contract and the Cowboys reportedly will not extend him before the season, making the move mostly low-risk, high-reward.
Now What in Pittsburgh?
While Tomlin may have less of a headache to deal with, the Steelers have created another hole on their roster that they had seemingly already filled with their deal to acquire DK Metcalf earlier in the offseason in exchange for a second-round pick.
Of course, it may not matter who is lined up at receiver for the Steelers until they figure out their quarterback situation. As things stand now, career-backup Mason Rudolph is the presumed starter in his second stint with Pittsburgh while the team waits on a decision from free agent Aaron Rodgers.
Whether the Pickens move is addition by subtraction remains to be seen. One thing for certain though is the Steelers are less talented today than they were yesterday.
