{"id":47393,"date":"2025-05-11T02:42:47","date_gmt":"2025-05-11T02:42:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=47393"},"modified":"2025-05-11T02:42:47","modified_gmt":"2025-05-11T02:42:47","slug":"breaking-mike-tomlin-breaks-silence-on-george-pickens-trade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=47393","title":{"rendered":"BREAKING: Mike Tomlin Breaks Silence on George Pickens Trade.."},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"post-featured-container-id\">\n<div id=\"post-featured\" class=\"wp-caption \">\n<div class=\"h-responsive\">\n<figure class=\"h-responsive__inner\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"attachment-featured-image size-featured-image wp-post-image\" src=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-2184049271-e1746903922860.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 820px) 95vw, 780px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-2184049271-e1746903922860.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780 780w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-2184049271-e1746903922860.jpg?quality=15&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-2184049271-e1746903922860.jpg?quality=35&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1350 1350w\" alt=\"Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin spoke on the trade that sent George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys.\" width=\"780\" height=\"439\" data-dom-ready-time=\"644\" data-img-load-time=\"1246\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"caption-credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"c-post-image-caption-text\">Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin spoke on the trade that sent George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The\u00a0Pittsburgh Steelers\u00a0have publicly addressed their recent trade of wide receiver\u00a0George Pickens\u00a0to the\u00a0Dallas Cowboys, marking their first official statement on the move.<\/p>\n<p>The Cowboys pulled off a\u00a0blockbuster for Pickens\u00a0earlier in the week. Dallas sent a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Steelers for Pickens and a 2027 sixth-round pick.<\/p>\n<p>Steelers general Manager Omar Khan described the decision as a \u201cfresh start,\u201d and also clarified that Pickens did not ask for a trade.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe just kind of talked about it, lots of serious conversation, honest conversations,\u201d\u00a0Khan said. \u201cAnd we just felt that a fresh start for both sides was the right thing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe had some people inquire during the draft, nothing that really made sense. The Cowboys reached out earlier this week, and they proposed something for us to think about.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Steelers veteran head coach Mike Tomlin didn\u2019t add any further fuel to the fire when asked about Pickens\u2019s departure.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not going to add any color to it other than what Omar told you guys yesterday,\u201d\u00a0Tomlin said on Saturday. \u201cWe thought it was best and timely for all parties involved. Really, I\u2019m just focused on the opportunity that is this weekend for the rookies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Tomlin had a tumultuous relationship with Pickens. He\u00a0told Pickens to \u201cgrow up\u201d\u00a0after he was flagged twice for unsportsmanlike conduct in a game.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>New Cowboys WR George Pickens Not Dwelling on Past<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_5352298\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n<div class=\"h-responsive\">\n<figure class=\"h-responsive__inner\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-inline wp-image-5352298 visible\" src=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-1699351850-e1746789614660.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=782\" alt=\"New Dallas Cowboys receiver George Pickens.\" width=\"782\" height=\"440\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5352298\" data-lazy-load=\"\" data-src=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-1699351850-e1746789614660.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=782\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-5352298\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"caption-credit\">Getty Images<\/span>New Dallas Cowboys receiver George Pickens.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Pickens, a second-round pick in 2022, has some significant upside for the Cowboys, who lacked a true No. 2 option alongside\u00a0CeeDee Lamb. He amassed 174 receptions for 2,841 yards and 12 touchdowns across 48 games with the Steelers. Pickens\u2019 standout season came in 2023, recording 63 catches for 1,140 yards and five touchdowns.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, it excites me a lot,\u201d\u00a0Pickens said of playing alongside Lamb. \u201cIn the game of football, we can work off each other. There\u2019s no, \u2018Oh, he gets the ball, I get the ball\u2019 \u2014 we\u2019re working off each other. That\u2019s why I always come back to, you know, building a winning culture and that\u2019s kind of what we\u2019ve been talking about in Dallas.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Pickens added that he has no hard feelings about being moved by the Steelers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can\u2019t really say that,\u201d Pickens said. \u201cI\u2019m more of like a, be where I\u2019m at right now, where my feet at, so can\u2019t even really think about it in the past. I\u2019m just glad to be a Cowboy.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Cowboys WR George Pickens Entering Contract Year<\/h2>\n<p>The Cowboys should get a motivated Pickens during his first year in Dallas. The 24-year-old is entering the\u00a0final year of his rookie deal\u00a0and could cash in with a big year. But Pickens isn\u2019t overly focused on his future.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m worried about coming here and trying to help build a winning culture,\u201d he said. \u201cMe winning a championship at Georgia \u2014 I definitely know how to win.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Pickens will also get some stability at quarterback, something that was lacking in Pittsburgh. Three-time Pro Bowl quarterback\u00a0Dak Prescott\u00a0will be back under center after missing time last year with a hamstring injury.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c[He\u2019s a] very prolific QB, and smart, at that,\u201d he said of Prescott. \u201cI\u2019m very glad to work with him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Cowboys are seeking a turnaround after a 7-10 campaign and missing the postseason.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Getty Images Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin spoke on the trade that sent George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys. The\u00a0Pittsburgh Steelers\u00a0have publicly addressed their recent trade of&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":47394,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47393","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>BREAKING: Mike Tomlin Breaks Silence on George Pickens Trade.. - 24\/7 News America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=47393\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"BREAKING: Mike Tomlin Breaks Silence on George Pickens Trade.. - 24\/7 News America\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Getty Images Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin spoke on the trade that sent George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys. 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