George Pickens’ impressive play with the Dallas Cowboys has reshaped how the league views his upcoming free agency, and it has also led to questions about the Pittsburgh Steelers’ decision to move on from him.
CBS Sports’ Garrett Podell recently examined Pickens’ market in free agency this spring, writing that his breakout season was both a showing of his talent and might’ve answered some questions about whether it was all his fault in Pittsburgh.
“George Pickens exceeded all expectations in his first season with the Dallas Cowboys. The Pittsburgh Steelers gave up on him because of his public displays of frustration and traded him to Dallas for a 2026 third-round pick and a late-round pick swap. Pickens then erupted with career highs in nearly every receiving metric for the first Pro Bowl selection of his four-year career, and was named to the 2025 All-Pro second team.
“He served as Dak Prescott's go-to deep threat alongside CeeDee Lamb while also chewing up yards over the middle on slants and different intermediate routes thanks to his high-level change of pace abilities,” he wrote.
In one season with the Cowboys, Pickens looked like a No. 1 receiver rather than a guy with talent who has issues on and off the field. His ability to make the right plays opened up the Cowboys’ offense for CeeDee Lamb, and Dak Prescott was just as good as any in the league for a lot of the season.
The Steelers believed Pickens’ attitude and sideline frustrations would never work with their culture. From Dallas’ perspective, those concerns were manageable, and arguably overblown, as Pickens was in a much better offense than he ever dealt with in Pittsburgh.
Now, Pickens enters free agency as the most intriguing wide receiver and the best one on the market. He’s young, explosive, and coming off an elite year.
Keeping Pickens alongside Lamb would continue to build one of the most dangerous receiving duos, but it’d require a major financial commitment. For the rest of the league, Pickens gives them a rare opportunity to land a receiver with elite skills and a chance to be a WR1 nearly anywhere.