The Pittsburgh Steelers traded their problems away on Wednesday morning, sending wide receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys. While Dallas needed a WR2 to pair with CeeDee Lamb, it remains to be seen if all the issues Pickens brings with him will make such a choice worthwhile. Pickens is immensely talented, but he can also cause chaos both on and off the field. Don't believe me? Just ask former Dallas defensive back Jourdan Lewis.
Pickens earned a fine for that move. Lewis would call Pickens weak after the game, as the pair went back-and-forth all game long, earning extra attention from the officiating crew in the process.
Lewis was a free agent this offseason and rather than return to Dallas, he signed a three-year contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Cowboys have opted to spend that money elsewhere, some of which may go towards an extension for Pickens. The former second-round pick out of George is in the final year of his rookie deal.
What did Jourdan Lewis have to say about the Cowboys-George Pickens trade?
Lewis made a quick, snarky comment following the Cowboys decision to trade for Pickens.
"Confirmation, God wanted me in Jacksonville," Lewis wrote on X.
Little did they know, but Dallas did themselves a favor by avoiding more locker room drama than they can afford. The Cowboys already offer one of the largest media markets in the NFL, if not all of professional sports. Pickens will have a spotlight on him for his entire tenure, however long that may be. The last thing Dallas would want is Lewis – who admittedly does not like Pickens – sharing the team facilities with him. That's a recipe for disaster.
How does George Pickens fit with the Dallas Cowboys?
On paper, Pickens fits far better with the Cowboys than he did in Pittsburgh. Pickens likes to stretch the field and can make circus catches down the sideline with the best of them. What he is not is a precise route-runner, which is just fine with the Cowboys, which already have CeeDee Lamb on the opposite side.
The Steelers acquired DK Metcalf earlier this offseason in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks, and quickly extended him. Metcalf and Pickens are a good pairing on paper, but do much of the same things on the field. With that in mind, there is such a concept as too much of a good thing, and what the Steelers are lacking is elite route running. Neither Pickens nor Metcalf provides that, and if anything would have taken targets away from one another.
The Cowboys gave up a bit too much for Pickens, but the player himself ought to be thrilled.