More details are emerging regarding the Pittsburgh Steelers’ very public breakup with George Pickens after trading the playmaker to the Dallas Cowboys. Not only does it appear that Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was ready to move on from Pickens, but he may have been actively involved in ensuring the wideout found a new home.
The Steelers traded for former Seattle Seahawks star receiver DK Metcalf this offseason. It appears Pickens may have worn out his welcome with Tomlin, and the presence of Metcalf likely made it easier for the team to part ways with the receiver. Steelers insider Mark Kaboly (formerly of The Athletic) reported that Tomlin was behind Pickens getting traded to the Cowboys.
“What’s surprising to me is, from everything that I’ve heard, Mike Tomlin was the one that was in front of this all,” Kaboly detailed during a May 7, 2025, appearance on Pittsburgh’s 93.7 The Fan, per Steelers Nation. “It wasn’t Art (Modell). It wasn’t Omar (Khan). It was Mike, and then the organizational decision of – it’s time to move on.”
Steelers HC Mike Tomlin on George Pickens: ‘He’s Just Got to Grow Up, Man’
These are Tomlin’s private feelings that are now being made public. Yet, Tomlin criticized Pickens publicly on several occasions during the receiver’s bumpy tenure in Pittsburgh.
Back in December 2024, Tomlin admitted that Pickens needed to “grow up” after the wideout had multiple unsportsmanlike conduct penalties versus the Cincinnati Bengals.
“He’s just got to grow up, man,” Tomlin said at the time, per The Athletic. “It’s an emotional game. These divisional games are big.
“He got a target on his back because he’s George. He understands that. But he’s got to grow up. He’s got to grow up in a hurry.”
New Cowboys WR George Pickens Was ‘Very Well Liked’ by Steelers Teammates: Insider
There has been some debate as to whether Pickens’ public frustrations, at times, on the field carried over to his relationships with his Steelers teammates. ESPN’s Peter Schrager attempted to defend Pickens’ reputation as a teammate.
“I’ve talked to the Steelers folks. George Pickens is demonstrative on the field, but he is not an un-coachable player,” Schrager noted on a May 7, episode of “Get Up,” per Blogging the Boys’ Brandon Loree. “In fact he does have a great way about him in the locker room and is very well liked in Pittsburgh.”
Can George Pickens Be More Than a 1-Year Rental for the Cowboys?
Perhaps Pickens simply needed a fresh start and the Cowboys can provide that for the star. Yet, Tomlin’s decision to move on from Pickens should, at the very least, be a red flag for the Cowboys.
Pickens is entering the final season of a four-year, $6.7 million rookie contract. Time will tell whether Pickens ends up being a one-year rental in Dallas, or if the Cowboys found CeeDee Lamb a more permanent co-star.
“The concern I’d have from Dallas’s perspective is that, generally, when Mike Tomlin says goodbye to a receiver, the player’s issues aren’t resolved,” Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer wrote in a May 7, story titled, “NFL Mailbag: Issues That Led to the Steelers Trading George Pickens.”
“Tomlin’s the best at getting guys on board and managing personalities, which has allowed the Steelers to cast a wide net from a talent perspective for as long as he’s been there (Bill Cowher was similar before him). The flip side is when Pittsburgh’s done with a guy such as Pickens, it usually says something.”
