The Pittsburgh Steelers surprised the NFL on May 7 when they traded wide receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys. Pittsburgh received a 2026 third-round pick, along with 2027 fifth- and sixth-rounders, while shipping off Pickens and a 2027 sixth.
On the surface, it seemed like a steep price for Dallas to pay for a receiver still on his rookie deal. But for those closer to the situation in Pittsburgh, the move came with relief — and a sense of victory.
‘A Constant Distraction’ — Aditi Kinkhabwala Pulls Back Curtain on Pickens’ Sideline Behavior
That’s how CBS Sports analyst Aditi Kinkhabwala sees it. Speaking on “The PM Team with Poni & Mueller” on 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh, Kinkhabwala praised the Steelers’ front office for pulling off the trade. While acknowledging Pickens’ elite physical gifts, she pulled back the curtain on what it’s been like behind the scenes — describing the wideout’s behavior as disruptive, exhausting, and ultimately not worth the hassle.
Kinkhabwala, who began covering Pickens during his rookie season as a CBS sideline reporter, said what many in Pittsburgh had long speculated.
“The Steelers absolutely won this trade. 100% won this trade,” she said. “To get a third-round pick for George Pickens? That’s fantastic.”
Despite Pickens’ undeniable talent, Kinkhabwala described his presence on the sideline as “maddening.” She explained that Pickens constantly needed to be emotionally managed by teammates and coaches during games — an effort often distracting from the team’s larger goals.
“In all my games of being a sideline reporter, I have never seen a player need so much attention from his teammates during a game,” she said. “Be it attention to calm him down, to keep his head in the game, to have him focused, to have him centered. Whatever it is, it is constant … it’s just a distraction to the cause at large.”
According to Kinkhabwala, Pickens had red flags dating back to his pre-draft process. One general manager even told her the Georgia product was the most talented receiver in his draft class — but wasn’t even on their board because of character concerns.
She cited several examples of Pickens’ erratic behavior, including arriving late on Christmas Day, not blocking for teammate Jaylen Warren, and sulking during games. These incidents, Kinkhabwala said, contributed to the growing perception that if Mike Tomlin — a coach known for his patience with difficult personalities — gave up on a player, then that player likely wasn’t worth the trouble.
“I had talked to enough front office people around the league who were saying that people had wisened up to this idea that if Mike Tomlin loses patience with a player, if Mike Tomlin is done with a player, then maybe it’s really not worth trading for that player. We saw it with Chase Claypool. We know this because Mike Tomlin has more patience than anyone for a player to turn the corner, but all it takes is one team. All it takes is one owner wanting to take a chance.”
Tomlin dealt with Antonio Brown’s behavioral issues for nine long seasons and Diontae Johnson’s for five. But he wasn’t about to give Pickens that long of a leash, and now it’s Dallas’ turn. Pittsburgh has a long-standing pattern of moving on from wide receivers just before their value drops or off-field issues outweigh their production.
“I think it’s brilliant,” she added. “It’s definitely a better return than what I would have expected from the things that I had been hearing over the last few months.”
Pickens now heads to Dallas, a team with playoff aspirations and no shortage of personalities. Time will tell whether the Cowboys can unlock his potential — or inherit the same frustrations the Steelers finally let go.