Cowboys Make Blockbuster Trade for Projected $101 Million WR George Pickens

The Dallas Cowboys may have turned their offseason around in a single move, pulling off a blockbuster trade for controversial Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens and sending a jolt through the entire franchise.

FOX Sports NFL Insider Jordan Schultz reported the terms of the deal were the Cowboys received Pickens in exchange for a 2026 third round pick to the Steelers and a Day 3 pick swap between the teams.

“Comp update: It’s a 3rd-round pick back to the #Steelers and Day 3 pick swap with the #Cowboys in exchange for George Pickens, per sources,” Schultz wrote on his official X account on May 7. 

The Cowboys can now pair Pickens with superstar wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, a 3-time NFL All-Pro who signed a 4-year, $136 million contract extension in August 2024, creating one of the NFL’s premiere wide receiver duos before they ever even play in a game together.

Lamb hasn’t played with another 1,000-yard wide receiver since spending his first 2 seasons with Amari Cooper, who was traded to the Cleveland Browns in March 2022.

“If Dallas is going to return to the playoffs and start the Brian Schottenheimer era off by seriously contending, the team must shore up the receiving corps as soon as possible,” Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay wrote on May 6. “With every marquee free agent already under contract, a deal for Pickens is the best way to accomplish this goal.”

No Talk of Extension for Pickens Just Yet

Spotrac projects Pickens’ next contract to be in the range of a 4-year, $101.1 million contract and he’s in the final year of the 4-year, $6.75 million contract he signed after he was drafted in the second round (No. 57 overall) of the 2022 NFL draft and is due $3.65 million in 2026.

It’s not clear if the Cowboys are ready to make the move for a long-term investment in Pickens, who has just one 1,000-yard receiving season through his first 3 seasons, when he had 63 receptions for 1,140 yards and 5 touchdowns in 2023 and led the NFL with 18.1 yards per catch. He’s also yet to make an NFL All-Pro Team or be selected to a Pro Bowl.

By comparison, Lamb was a 2-time Pro Bowler and earned the first of 3 NFL All-Pro selections through his first 3 seasons, including 2 1,000-yard receiving seasons and had 19 touchdowns compared to just 12 touchdowns for Pickens.

Steelers Made Clear Move Away From Pickens

The writing was on the wall for Pickens in Pittsburgh after the Steelers traded for Seattle Seahawks star wide receiver D.K. Metcalf on March 9 and signed him to a 4-year, $132 million contract extension the same day.

That’s an understandable move — Pickens has been a nightmare more for the Steelers instead of for other teams during his 3 seasons.

In 3 seasons, Pickens has been fined a staggering 10 times by the NFL for a variety of offenses. That includes 3 times for taunting, once for making an obscene gesture and once when he wrote “OPEN (EXPLETIVE) ALWAYS” on his eye black tape against the Cowboys in 2024.

It’s behavior that has prompted Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin to publicly tell Pickens he needed to “Grow Up” late in the 2024 season.

Pickens somehow made things worse after that when he showed up over 30 minutes late to the stadium before the Steelers’ Christmas Day game against the Kansas City Chiefs.