Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said he has been impressed with the early work of wide receiver George Pickens, especially in the meeting room. "I see a guy that's maturing," Schottenheimer said. The Cowboys made a splash this offseason by acquiring Pickens and a 2026 sixth-round draft pick from the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a 2026 third-rounder and a 2027 fifth-rounder. The 24-year-old is a nice upgrade at WR2 behind CeeDee Lamb in Dallas, and it's also a nice move for Pickens' fantasy value in 2025, as he'll be working with by far the best quarterback in his career in Dak Prescott. The former second-rounder in 2022 out of Georgia has had at least 801 yards receiving in his three NFL seasons but should have a chance for a career year in Dallas in 2025 in an offense that should be pass-happy under Schottenheimer.
George Pickens Should See More One-On-One Coverage In Dallas
While with the Pittsburgh Steelers, opposing defenses often double-teamed wide receiver George Pickens or shaded a safety to his side. Now with the Dallas Cowboys, The Athletic's Ted Nguyen and Saad Yousuf think that teams will continue to double-team CeeDee Lamb, which will mean more one-on-one coverage for Pickens. The 24-year-old was dealt for a third-round pick because of his inconsistent effort on the field in Pittsburgh, but on paper, he's the perfect complement to Lamb as one of the league's best go-ball receivers that can really stretch a defense down the field. While his effort is lacking and Lamb will draw his fair share of targets, there's no denying that Pickens will be playing with the best QB of his career in Dak Prescott in an offense that should be pass-happy. If Pickens can stay healthy, he'll have a chance for a career year in 2025.
Cowboys Plan For George Pickens To Play Out His Rookie Deal
The Dallas Cowboys' plan is for newly acquired wide receiver George Pickens to play out his rookie deal in 2025, a source tells ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. The Cowboys swung a trade for Pickens and a 2026 sixth-round draft pick with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday in exchange for a 2026 third-rounder and a 2027 fifth-rounder. The 24-year-old Pickens gives Dallas a big upgrade at the No. 2 receiver spot behind All-Pro CeeDee Lamb. Although Pickens is going to have plenty of competition for targets from Lamb -- he would have had that in Pittsburgh as well alongside DK Metcalf -- the move to Dallas should be overwhelmingly positive for his fantasy value in 2025. Pickens will now be working with quarterback Dak Prescott in an offense that could be very pass-heavy when considering their mediocre backfield options. The former second-rounder has 2,841 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns in his three NFL seasons.
Cowboys Officially Acquire George Pickens From Steelers
The Dallas Cowboys have officially announced that they acquired wide receiver George Pickens and a 2027 sixth-round pick from the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick. The Pickens trade had been reported earlier in the morning on Wednesday, but the Cowboys' announcement provided details on the return package and officially confirmed the transaction. The trade gives Dallas a very strong No. 2 wide receiver alongside CeeDee Lamb, perhaps reinforcing Dallas' desire to operate a pass-heavy offense in 2025. After all, the Cowboys have one of the NFL's weaker backfields, so being able to move the ball through the air is a priority. Pickens piqued Dallas' interest during the draft, and the Cowboys now make the move to get him less than two weeks later. For Pittsburgh, this trade downgrades an already weak offense. Although Pittsburgh did go out to get DK Metcalf this offseason, they might struggle to get passing production out of a quarterback room that features Will Howard, Mason Rudolph, and Skylar Thompson. The pass-catching depth chart is also weak beyond Metcalf and Pat Freiermuth, and the backfield now features Jaylen Warren after the team lost Najee Harris in free agency. Metcalf remains a high-end WR3 option for fantasy purposes, Freiermuth could be a fine security blanket once again, and Warren figures to have heavy involvement on the ground. Meanwhile, Pickens' quarterback upgrade gives him a major fantasy boost. At the same time, there shouldn't be any panic about CeeDee Lamb; there are plenty of targets to go around, and he remains a strong fantasy WR1.
George Pickens Expected To Be Traded To The Cowboys
The Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to trade wide receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys for draft pick compensation. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the deal will include a third-round draft pick and other pick swaps. The move is expected to be finalized on Wednesday. Pickens is in the final year of his rookie deal and is ultimately looking for a contract extension in 2025. The 24-year-old hauled in 59 catches for 900 yards and three touchdowns over 14 games for the Steelers last season. Pickens should see an uptick in production in a better offense with the move to Dallas as quarterback Dak Prescott's No. 2 option behind CeeDee Lamb. Unless the Steelers bring in a wide receiver, Roman Wilson, Robert Woods, and Calvin Austin III will compete for Pittsburgh's WR2 role behind DK Metcalf. Pickens to the Cowboys is close to being finalized, and the trade details should be announced later on Wednesday. Update: It's official. The Cowboys have traded a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder to the Steelers in exchange for Pickens and a 2027 sixth-round pick.
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens' name was tossed around in trade discussions last week during the 2025 NFL draft, according to The Athletic's Dianna Russini, and the Dallas Cowboys were one of the teams that talked about bringing him in, according to sources. Nothing went down with Pickens, though, and now that the draft is over, it's expected that trade buzz surrounding Pickens will cool off. While the 24-year-old wideout was the subject of some trade talks, the Steelers never really seemed adamant about moving him and are excited about the possibilities in 2025 with a 1-2 receiver punch of Pickens and DK Metcalf. Pickens' long-term future with the team is in question, though, as he heads into the final year of his rookie deal. The former second-rounder came short of the 1,000-yard mark for a second straight season, and his fantasy arrow is pointing down after the addition of Metcalf.
The Athletic's Dianna Russini reports that the Pittsburgh Steelers have been receiving calls about the availability of wide receiver George Pickens, according to sources. The Steelers are open to conversations as they navigate the second round of this year's NFL draft. Pittsburgh gave away their second-round pick this year to acquire wideout DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks earlier this offseason. At No. 21 overall in the first round on Thursday night, the Steelers passed on a quarterback and running back to select Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon. They are now weighing their needs at QB and RB heading into the second round on Friday night against a potential trade of Pickens, who has displayed maturity issues in his time with the team. The Steelers are excited about the possibility of having a 1-2 punch of Metcalf and Pickens, but they might cave in if they're presented with a great offer.
Sources tell FOX Sports' Jordan Schultz that multiple teams have brought up Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens' name up in trade discussions, and he's a name to watch with the 2025 NFL draft kicking off on Thursday night. The Steelers aren't actively shopping Pickens, but trade talks have taken place as the 24-year-old pass-catcher enters the final year of his contract in 2025. The Steelers could use some more draft capital after giving away their second-rounder this year to acquire DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks, but they are also excited about the possibilities in 2025 with Metcalf and Pickens sharing the field on offense. It sounds like the Steelers aren't in a rush to get rid of Pickens, even though his long-term future with the organization is in question, but they could give in if a team offers them something too good to pass up. Stay tuned.
ESPN's Brooke Pryor writes that Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan shut down speculation that the team could trade wide receiver George Pickens, who is eligible for a contract extension this summer, to add a second-rounder in this week's NFL draft. "We're glad we have George and DK here," Khan said. "I think they're going to be exciting for everyone to watch." The Steelers have six picks in this week's draft, but they are without a second-rounder after using the No. 52 overall pick as part of the trade to land receiver DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks. The 24-year-old Pickens fell short of 1,000 yards -- he had 900 yards and three touchdowns on 59 receptions -- and could be more volatile of a fantasy asset in 2025 with Metcalf now in the picture. That's especially true with Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson as the only quarterbacks currently on their roster.
One of the Pittsburgh Steelers' top priorities this offseason will be adding a wide receiver, and Penn Live's Nick Farabaugh writes that a new receiver is expected to complement George Pickens instead of replacing him. Sources have talked down the idea of the Steelers trading Pickens despite his maturity issues in 2024. Pittsburgh will exhaust every avenue once again as they look to add a receiver, with sources pointing to the trade market as a likely avenue. However, the team doesn't play to make any moves at the position until they know who will be starting at quarterback. If the Denver Broncos' talks on a long-term extension with receiver Courtland Sutton break down, the Steelers will be aggressive in trying to trade for him. Farabaugh also expects the Steelers to circle back to Darius Slayton and Christian Kirk, two wideouts that the team was interested in at last year's trade deadline.
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