The Pittsburgh Steelers were the talk of the NFL leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft. The organization's interest in veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been in headlines every day, as has the possibility of the organization moving on from wide receiver George Pickens. Pittsburgh acquired DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for its second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and some thought this might make Pickens expendable throughout the rest of the 2025 offseason. If Pittsburgh had wanted to recoup that lost second-round selection, trading Pickens might have been the best way to do so.
Photo by Nick Cammett / Getty Images
Steelers' George Pickens celebrates with his teammates after a big time touchdown.
Pittsburgh was not actively shopping Pickens throughout the first part of the 2025 offseason, and there was no reason to believe the team was looking to trade him. However, the addition of Metcalf and dealing a second-round pick made a potential trade seem possible.
Ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft it came out that Pittsburgh was listening to calls from other teams, but not actively calling around the league trying to get rid of Pickens. A deal did not come to fruition, and ESPN Insider Todd Archer gave some insight as to what team was making a push for Pickens.
"Leading up to the draft, the Cowboys had discussions with an AFC North team regarding a veteran wide receiver, but nothing came to fruition, according to multiple sources." Archer wrote.
The Dallas Cowboys were seen as a team that needed a wide receiver going into the 2025 NFL Draft. The organization has one of the best in the league in CeeDee Lamb, but outside of him the position group is pretty bleak in Dallas. The Cowboys had the 12th overall pick in the event and selected guard Tyler Booker, while many believed the pick would be used on the wide receiver position.
PennLive / Kylee Surike
Steelers' George Pickens gets jammed on a key route against the Kansas City Chiefs during the 2024 season.
If Dallas was interested in Pickens, the organization certainly had enough draft capital to get a potential deal done. The franchise had two fifth-round picks and a third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, while also possessing all seven of their own draft picks in 2026.
Pickens' value is hard to gauge due to his lack of maturity, but it should be fair to assume he would be worth pick on day two along with one on day three. A third-round pick and a fifth would have been nice, but the two sides were unable to come to agree to a deal.
The Steelers may have needed to be blown away by an offer in order to part ways with Pickens. The Steelers have been searching for help at wide receiver for years, and the organization finally got it with Metcalf. Trading Pickens away would be counterproductive, and it would just put Pittsburgh in the same position it has been in for the last two years.
Geoff Burke / Imagn Images
Steelers' Mike Tomlin high fives George Pickens after a huge play against the Commanders in Week 10 of the 2024 regular season.
Steelers Could Still Move On From George Pickens
Although it seems unlikely at this point, a trade can still materialize. Dallas might still be interested in Pickens as the organization did not draft a wide receiver at all despite its need at the position, and General Manager Jerry Jones could get desperate as the seasons approaches. Other teams around the league could also make a move for Pickens, especially if some top wide receivers go down across the league and teams run into injury issues.
It probably won't happen, but Pickens ending up in Dallas would be somewhat ironic. The star wide receiver got into a fight with former Cowboys defensive back Jourdan Lewis when the two sides played in 2024. After the final whistle sounded Pickens yanked Lewis down by his face mask, which made it into the national news cycle. This was not a good sign for Pittsburgh, as the organization has been desperately waiting for Pickens to show some signs of maturity.
#SteelerNation
