Here's a list of every quarterback that George Pickens has caught a pass from in the NFL: Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph and Mitchell Trubisky.
No wonder he wanted out of Pittsburgh.
Pickens, who is reportedly on his way to the Dallas Cowboys, now goes from that...questionable situation to one that should offer him the kind of stability that will help unlock his full potential.
George Pickens, meet your new best friend: Dak Prescott.
Dak Prescott can help George Pickens reach the next level
Okay, look: Dak Prescott isn't an elite quarterback at this point. There were times where it looked like he was ready to ascend into the league's top tier, but injury issues prevented him from really getting where Cowboys fans wanted him to get.
However, a healthy Prescott is still a massive improvement over what Pickens was catching passes from in Pittsburgh, including the rumored player that could wind up as the Steelers quarterback in 2025: Aaron Rodgers.
Add in that Pickens would be sharing limited targets with DK Metcalf, and 2025 was set to be a disappointing year for him.
Sure, Pickens will have to share targets with CeeDee Lamb in Dallas, but the nature of this Cowboys offense makes it a lot easier to succeed as the No. 2 there than it would be in Pittsburgh. The last time Prescott played a full season, he led the NFL in completions and touchdown passes. Before struggling last year because Prescott was injured, the Cowboys had finished in the top five in points scored in three consecutive seasons.
And that's what Pickens needs: a home where he knows he can reliably get the football.
There have been plenty of whispers about Pickens being a locker room issue for the Steelers. Some of that might stem from maturity issues, but one also has to wonder if Pickens was just tired of the uncertainty of the Pittsburgh passing attack. Now, he has a chance to play with a quarterback who is capable of elevating his play, rather than Pickens needing to make impressive catches to elevate the play of the quarterback.
Let's look at some numbers from George Pickens
In 2023, Prescott ranked eighth in the NFL in accuracy rating and first in completion percentage when pressured. At his best, he's someone who can get the ball exactly where it needs to go, even when the pocket gets muddied.
Pickens, meanwhile, ranked 71st among NFL wide receivers last season in quarterback rating when targeted. You can blame a little of that on his six drops and his struggle to create separation, but a lot of the blame was just because he wasn't getting the ball in good spots — Pickens wasn't consistently getting accurate targets thrown his way, ranking 55th among receivers in target accuracy.
Essentially, all the success Pickens has had so far — three seasons with 800 or more receiving yards, an NFL-best 18.1 yards per catch in 2023 — have come despite the quarterback play, not because of it. Now, he gets a huge upgrade there and will be on an offense where much of the defensive attention will be directed toward Lamb.
In other words, buckle up, because George Pickens is about to have the best season of his NFL career.