The Dallas Cowboys, desperate for a wide receiver, made the most aggressive move possible to get one, trading a third-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for former second-round pick George Pickens. Entering the final year of his rookie contract, Pickens has proven he can be a high-end WR2 opposite CeeDee Lamb, despite being miscast as a No. 1 receiver in Pittsburgh, but comes with plenty of mercurial behaviors to keep an eye on. As such, how he ultimately reacted to the trade had everyone on the edge of their seats.
Cowboys fans, in particular, had to be nervous to some degree about Pickens' response to being traded from the team that drafted him. Would he immediately be a locker room distraction? Is there a chance that he could hold out for a new contract? As it turned out, those worries were unfounded. Instead, Pickens spoke to the soul of Cowboys fans with his first comments and reaction to the trade.
""I feel great," Pickens said, via Jon Machota of The Athletic. "I like the mojo here. I like the swag. I feel like they have a great thing going for sure.
"I'm grateful to be here. I'm grateful to play with Dak [Prescott]."
New Cowboys WR George Pickens: "I feel great. I like the mojo here. I like the swag. I feel like they have a great thing going for sure."
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) May 8, 2025
"I'm grateful to be here. I'm grateful to play with Dak."
Who knows if the praise of Dak Prescott was also a shot at his former team and their uncertain quarterback situation over the past several years, basically all of Pickens' career. In any case, though, it certainly sounds like the new Cowboys receiver is exactly where he wants to be in Dallas.
George Pickens' reaction to Cowboys trade will have fans buzzing
If Pickens is any kind of salty when it comes to the Steelers, that would be justifiable. He was thrown under the bus in Pittsburgh on more than one occasion. Sure, sometimes the drama around the receiver was self-inflicted with his antics (both in speaking to the media and his on-field behavior). At the same time, this is a player who just started his career playing with a combination of Kenny Pickett, Justin Fields and Russell Wilson. Not exactly the smoothest runway for a now-24-year-old player.
What stands out, though, is that Pickens didn't take any clear shots at the Steelers. Cowboys fans should be excited because it legitimately seems like the receiver himself is excited to be in Dallas. Liking the mojo and the vibes likely stems from the fact that he's now in a much more stable situation — something that can't often be said of the Jerry Jones-led organization — where he can thrive.
On top of that, the excitement to work with Prescott has to be real. Again, think whatever you want about Prescott, but he's an upgrade from the guys Pickens has been catching passes from in Pittsburgh over the past three seasons.
What stands out most regarding Pickens' excitement and optimism, though, is that Pickens seems motivated. He's already stated he doesn't care about working on a contract extension. Pair that with his first message since joining the Cowboys, and it sounds like he's more locked in and motivated to prove himself than ever.
We obviously won't know what the Pickens-CeeDee Lamb combo will look like until the season starts or, more importantly, what that means for the Cowboys. But for a trade that many seemed to think held a ton of risk for Dallas, the receiver's first time addressing the deal should quell a lot of those concerns. He seems ready to be part of America's Team and be a proverbial missing piece for this offense.