George Pickens being traded to the Dallas Cowboys has a lot of tongues wagging. Some folks are acting as if the Pittsburgh Steelers unloaded a lemon of a car. There’s a conspiracy theory that he was traded because Aaron Rodgers didn’t want to play with him. Others think the Cowboys shot themselves in the foot by taking on a player entering the last year of his rookie contract.
Either way, Pickens is excited about joining the Cowboys where he will line up opposite CeeDee Lamb and catch passes from Dak Prescott. It’s a tantalizing combo and one that would be perfect in a game of Madden. How it will play out on the field is another thing. However, in the moment, Pickens can’t wait to get to Dallas.
George Pickens Speaks Out
Jon Machota posted on social media about Pickens playing on the last year of his rookie contract. “I’m kinda where my feet are right now, to be honest,” Machota quotes Pickens as saying. “I’m not really thinking about contract talks. I’m just glad to be with the Cowboys right now, trying to build a winning culture.”
New Cowboys WR George Pickens on being in the final year of his rookie contract: "I'm kinda where my feet are right now, to be honest. I'm not really thinking about contract talks. I'm just glad to be with the Cowboys right now, trying to build a winning culture."
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota)
Not exactly the response a lot of Pickens’ critics might have expected.
The Cowboys paid a steep price to get Pickens in the building. They sent the Steelers a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick in exchange for the wide receiver and a 2027 sixth-rounder. As mentioned, Pickens is entering the last year of his rookie contract and will earn $3.656 million in 2025.Â
Pickens is expected to have an immediate impact as the Cowboys’ number two wide receiver. It’s been a problem position for years, but Pickens’ ability to stretch the field and make contested catches should allow CeeDee Lamb more room to execute his elite-level route running. Giving Dak Prescott a potentially elite second option on the outside is a tantalizing prospect for a team that always has high expectations, but hasn’t been able to make a deep playoff run.
Pickens has undeniable talent, but Pittsburgh was willing to move him because of disciplinary issues and perceived lapses in effort and focus. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin went so far as to publicly say that Pickens needs to “grow up.”
The hope in Dallas has to be that the leadership of Prescott, Lamb, and linebacker Micah Parsons will integrate Pickens into a super-talented team. Brian Schottenheimer plans on bringing a modern offense to Dallas that will use more shifts and motion. This means Pickens will be expected to succeed in a pass-friendly system that asks him to be the deep threat the team has lacked in recent years.
It’s a big risk considering Pickens will be in a contract year, but it speaks to Jerry Jones’ desire to win right now.
