George Pickens is having the best season of his young career in his first year with the Dallas Cowboys. He has also helped the franchise to be one of the top overall offenses in 2025and he ranks among the most productive wide receivers. He appears to be a perfect match for them, but apparently one of their rivals tried to acquire him first.
George Pickens Targeted by Cowboys Rivals in Trade Rumors
Jerry Jones often gets criticized for his bold moves that sometimes fail for the Cowboys, but most would agree that acquiring Pickens turned out to be a major win for the franchise. He ranks towards the top of most receiving categories this year as a legitimate vertical threat for Dak Prescott.
He was acquired via trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2025 NFL offseason, but apparently, one rival attempted to make a move for him in the year before. David Lombardi recently shared a breakdown of what happened.
“49ers wanted Pickens in return for Brandon Aiyuk during those 2024 trade discussions with Pittsburgh,” stated Lombardi.
49ers wanted Pickens in return for Brandon Aiyuk during those 2024 trade discussions with Pittsburgh. Unfortunately for SF, Steelers weren’t willing to move Pickens until May 2025 when they made the deal with Dallas. By that point the ink on Aiyuk’s deal had already dried https://t.co/b1rxEU7sK6
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) December 4, 2025
The Steelers reportedly declined their offer in 2024 as the 49ers were apparently a year too early in their pursuit of Pickens. He was sent to the Cowboys just one offseason later and essentially proved he can be a superstar in the right system, as San Francisco likely suspected when they pursued him first.
Lombardi also explained that Brandon Aiyuk would have been a part of the deal, but the Steelers were apparently not interested in the swap. Aiyuk signed a four-year contract worth $120 million just a few months later in the same 2024 offseason, so when the Steelers star became available in 2025, it was essentially too late for the 49ers to pivot.
Aiyuk is now making an average of $30 million per season, but according to Spotrac, Pickens should be expected to exceed that number amid his breakout season. He is one of only three wide receivers, along with Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, to receive an A grade from PFSN’s Impact Rankings for this season.
CeeDee Lamb ranks 15th in the same rankings, so the Cowboys clearly have one of the best receiving tandems in the NFL. The catch is that Pickens is set to become a free agent at the end of the season, so Jones will have a major decision to make. A long-term deal appears costly, but it would give Prescott elite weapons on his quest to end the Super Bowl drought in Dallas.
