When the Pittsburgh Steelers acquired DK Metcalf, it felt as if they were eager to find a suitor for George Pickens. Eventually, they agreed to terms with the Dallas Cowboys, sending Pickens to the NFC East. Based on what Pickens had to say, though, the Steelers might not have been the party eager to move on from Pickens.
Pickens was active on social media, and made several noteworthy comments.
"I forced buddy. They were gladly keeping me … have a nice day and a blessed one my guy," Pickens said.
George Pickens makes Cowboys look like winners of the trade by dissing Steelers
The first noteworthy comment from Pickens couldn't have been clearer. When a fan made a statement saying Pickens was the problem in Pittsburgh, the wideout said that the Steelers were set on keeping him and that he forced a trade. Whether that's true or not is something only he and the Steelers know, but it certainly makes him look good if he got his wish granted.
While that quote was an eye-opener, another Pickens comment is one that has the potential to stick with fans for a while.
"Lmao, I play for the Cowboys. Now stop reminiscing, bro," Pickens said. "And trying to justify the trade, y’all just lost another good player to fake reports like this one."
Pickens essentially called all rumors suggesting he's a problem off the field fabricated, and that they were tricked into losing a good player because of fake news.
George Pickens is a dynamic wideout Cowboys could use
Again, we don't know what's true or not. Obviously, Pickens isn't going to say he was traded because of off-field issues he was causing. Still, without clarity from the other side, and especially with Pickens saying he forced a trade, there's reason to believe that Pickens is being completely truthful and the Steelers might've let a great player walk out the door for pennies on the dollar.
Say what you want about Pickens' off-field concerns, but on the field, he's a dynamic wideout who should make the Cowboys much better. He had 900 yards receiving in just 14 games played last season, and had 1,140 yards while leading the league with 18.1 yards per reception in 2023. He was able to accomplish this despite lackluster quarterback play and despite the Steelers not having a true No. 2 receiver to take some of the pressure off.
Now, Pickens will catch passes from Dak Prescott in Dallas while playing alongside CeeDee Lamb. No matter how you slice it, the situation in Dallas is a good one for Pickens to continue his development.
Now, while Pickens is in a good spot, the Steelers are virtually right where they've been in recent years. They don't have a solidified solution at the quarterback position, and they lack a trustworthy No. 2 receiver to play alongside Metcalf. Had Pickens stuck around, things might've been different, but it sounds like the Steelers might not have even had that option.