George Pickens has joined the Dallas Cowboys, leaving behind a notable stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers. His focus now shifts to teaming up with quarterback Dak Prescott and fellow wide receiver CeeDee Lamb rather than pondering why his former team traded away one of their top offensive assets in his peak years. The Cowboys exchanged a third-round draft pick for the next year, along with swapping lower-round picks in 2027, to acquire Pickens from Pittsburgh after his three-year tenure with the team.
Pickens’ time with the Steelers was marked by moments of controversy, leading Coach Mike Tomlin to candidly comment about the wide receiver needing to mature. However, Pickens is unconcerned that such opinions will follow him to his new team in Dallas. “I can’t really change anyone’s opinion of me personally,” Pickens shared during a conference call with reporters, a day after the trade’s announcement. “I feel like everybody in the world has to grow. You get older and older as you grow. We’re trying to build a winning culture, which they already have at the Cowboys. I’m just glad to be joining it.”
The Cowboys are seeking to improve upon a challenging previous season, finishing with a 7-10 record that ended a run of three consecutive 12-5 playoff seasons, each concluding without advancing past the divisional round. Notably, Dallas remains the only NFC team yet to play in a conference championship since their last Super Bowl win in 1995. Now under the guidance of first-year coach Brian Schottenheimer, the Cowboys aimed to bolster their receiving corps. Although this need wasn’t addressed during the draft, securing Pickens through a trade might explain this decision. Owner and General Manager Jerry Jones had previously alluded to the possibility of significant trades in the works before the draft.
Pickens possesses the requisite skill set to complement Lamb, who achieved All-Pro status in 2023, setting personal bests with 135 receptions, 1,749 yards, and 12 touchdowns. Despite being two years younger than Lamb, the 24-year-old Pickens led the Steelers in receiving yards for the past two seasons and ranks among the top in the NFL for yards per catch. “You guys making a 1A, 1B, and all this, honestly, that’s the first time I’ve heard any of that stuff,” Pickens remarked. “I feel like two receivers are kind of normal. When I used to watch football, there was always a good receiver, and then there was also another good receiver on the side of him.”
Pickens has battled emotional control on the field, marked by incidents last season where engagements with opposing defensive backs resulted in disputes, including one against Dallas’ Jourdan Lewis. Moreover, he received a fine for using inappropriate language on his eye black against the Cowboys, claiming ignorance of the rule. His 2023 season was also marred by criticism of his commitment to downfield blocking for teammates.
With Jourdan Lewis no longer a Cowboy, now playing for Jacksonville, Pickens will have time to adjust and meet the new team, starting with Prescott, who was among the first to welcome him. “I like the mojo here,” Pickens said. “I like the swag.”
Given Pickens’ temperament, the Steelers appeared uninterested in extending his contract, making him expendable after they traded for DK Metcalf earlier in the year. Metcalf swiftly penned a five-year deal following his acquisition. For Pickens, signing an extension before his rookie contract concludes isn’t a pressing concern. “I’m kind of where my feet are right now, to be honest,” Pickens declared. “I’m not really thinking about contract talks.”
In 2023, Pickens led the league with an 18.1 yards-per-catch average, accumulating 174 receptions for 2,841 yards and 12 touchdowns throughout 48 games. As Lamb exemplified consistency and growth through his first four seasons, Pickens is now eager to demonstrate his reliability in his fourth season with his new team. “It excites me a lot because … we can work off each other,” Pickens said. “There’s no, ‘He gets the ball, I get the ball.’ We’re working off each other. That’s why I always come back to building a winning culture. And that’s kind of what we’ve been talking about in Dallas.”