The Pittsburgh Steelers finally addressed their George Pickens issue on Wednesday morning by trading the wide receiver away to the Dallas Cowboys. Pittsburgh received a third-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft as well as a fifth-round pick in the 2027, while also giving up a sixth-round pick in 2027. It is essentially a third round pick in 2026 to go along with a late pick-swap in 2027, which is not bad considering that Pickens is going into the final year of his deal and has been a public issue for years now.
Thankfully, Pittsburgh addressed the wide receiver position earlier in the offseason by trading for and extending star wide receiver DK Metcalf. He is now the unquestioned number one receiver in Pittsburgh, but the organization should be expected to explore some opportunities when it comes to adding to that room.
This can be through trade or free agency, where there are some intriguing names still available, but one option via trade stands out and that is Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins.
Hill has been flirting with a trade request throughout the entire 2025 offseason after having one of the worst seasons of his career in 2024. He has not formally requested a trade, but it is not unreasonable to think the Dolphins would want to explore moving on from the veteran. Dolphins beat writer for ESPN, Marcel Louis-Jacques, recently wrote about the health of Hill and his timeline.
"Hill had his wrist surgically repaired earlier this offseason after playing through what Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel described as a ligament issue. Hill's most recent surgery involved the removal of previously placed screws." Louis-Jacques wrote. "[Mike] McDaniel told reporters at the NFL scouting combine in February that Hill likely would not resume football activities until 'around summertime going into training camp.'"
Hill has undergone two operations throughout the 2025 offseason, one to repair his wrist and the other to get the screws taken out. Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniel has said that the team expects Hill to resume playing football around the time training camp begins, but it isn't out of the realm of possibility that Hill could be playing elsewhere by that time.
The speculation of a potential trade between Pittsburgh and Miami began when Hill was posting cryptic messages on his social media, seeming to be hinting at leaving the Dolphins. This was brought back to light after Ian Rapoport reported that the Steelers should be expected to make a move to replace Pickens after the trade went through. Hill would be quite the upgrade at the position with his undeniable speed.
With Hill's two offseason procedures, his expensive contract, and his age, the Steelers should be able to land him for somewhat cheap. Something similar to what the organization received for Pickens seems fair, especially with the way Hill has spoken in the past about retiring early. The veteran wide receiver is only under contract for two more seasons, which could also aid Pittsburgh in potential trade negotiations.
Steelers Have Other Options To Consider At Wide Receiver Position
Aside from Hill, there are plenty of options around the league that should be considered for Pittsburgh. The Green Bay Packers selected two wide receivers during the 2025 NFL Draft, so it is reasonable to assume they could be interested in moving on from some guys that are currently under contract. Romeo Doubs as well as Dontayvion Wicks are names to consider the Steelers targeting.
Outside of a trade, there are some decent veteran options available on the free agent market. Amari Cooper is probably the top name, while Gabe Davis and Keenan Allen are also some good options. Davis probably has the highest upside out of that trio due to his younger age.
