Could George Pickens be the explosive receiver the Chargers desperately need? Exploring a potential trade for Pittsburgh's dynamic playmaker.
For much of the offseason, my focus has been on how the Los Angeles Chargers are planning on rebuilding their offensive line and what they're going to do to retain their overwhelming pass rush.
The offensive line is still a work in progress after the team released Mekhi Becton, re-signed Trey Pipkins, and brought in free agents Cole Strange and Tyler Biadasz. (Apologies to Josh Harris, who is primarily a long snapper.)
The pass rush is also still a work in progress. The team re-signed Khalil Mack but decided against putting any kind of tag on Odafe Oweh that would've kept him in Los Angeles, leaving him open to sign a four-year deal to join Jesse Minter's Baltimore Ravens.
However, in the back in my mind, I've been wondering if the team was going to look to upgrade at the very top of their WR depth chart.
Quentin Johnston has, unfortunately, proven to not be up to the task of being the team's #1 WR. I have my concerns about Ladd McConkey's ability to fill that role, and I feel the same way about (currently a free agent) Keenan Allen. While I like what I saw from Tre Harris, it would be insane for the team to promote him into such an important role.
What the team really needs is a WR with elite speed that can stretch defenses and create openings underneath for other players to take advantage of.
With a healthy and functioning offensive line, the Chargers seem to have everything else. RB Omarion Hampton should be set up for a breakout season, TE Oronde Gadsden II maybe already had his at the TE spot, and McConkey (plus Allen?) can get open quickly with hands and toughness to make catches across the middle.
We've already heard from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler that the Chargers are at least talking to other teams about a trade that would send Johnston out of town, but we haven't heard much about any targets the team have to replace him in the offense.
Being something of a Dallas Cowboys fan, I would like to offer up George Pickens as an option.
In three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pickens put up fine numbers while catching passes from the likes of Kenny Pickett, Russell Wilson, Justin Fields and Mitchell Trubisky. No wonder he was frustrated.
In one season after being traded to the Cowboys, Pickens (often playing WR1 with CeeDee Lamb missing time due to injury) finished with 1,429 receiving yards and 9 receiving touchdowns. Those stats were good enough to land him in the Pro Bowl in 2025.
However, with the Cowboys already paying top-flight money to Lamb (and Dak Prescott), they could not afford to give Pickens the long-term contract that he's due in free agency this offseason. Instead, they have used the non-exclusive franchise tag on him.
What this means, literally, is that the Cowboys have right of first refusal for any free agent offers that Pickens accepts. Should they choose to not match it, the team signing Pickens would technically have to send two 1st round draft picks to the Cowboys. However, it doesn't always work that way (and doesn't have to work that way).
If Pickens is on the Cowboys in 2026, the team will have to pay $27.3 million to have him. The Cowboys are currently $10 million over the salary cap and have the least amount of cap space of any team in the entire league. The Chargers, by comparison, still have more than $58 million left in space (3rd most in the NFL) that they could take Pickens into without issue.
Signing a player who has a non-exclusive franchise tag on him has not been done in the NFL for over two decades, as far as I can tell, and the rules have changed a bit over that time. That being said, the Chargers could potentially work out some sort of deal with the Cowboys (who don't want to lose Pickens for nothing but would be thrilled to have some more cap space to help their ailing defense) for a lesser price.
If the Chargers want to sign the proven 25-year old Pickens (he turned 25 last week!) to be their WR1 of the future, I do think the Cowboys would pick up the phone and have a conversation about what they would accept in return for him.
If the Chargers were looking to turn Quentin Johnston (and his $4.5M salary cap number) plus a pick into a legitimate WR1 that can transform their passing offense from very good to great, I think there's a rare chance to try and pull it off with George Pickens and the Dallas Cowboys.