Eyebrow-Raising Report Sheds Light On George Pickens’ Market Before Trade

The Steelers apparently didn’t ignite an active bidding war when they made George Pickens available for trade.

Pickens’ Pittsburgh tenure officially ended Wednesday when the storied franchise traded the wide receiver to the Dallas Cowboys. The 2022 second-round pick’s expiring contract seemingly made him expendable in Steel City, and Pickens’ penchant to be difficult might have factored into the equation as well.

How turned off were some teams by the 24-year-old’s antics? Well, multiple franchises reportedly didn’t even consider taking a chance on a pass-catcher with undeniable talent who nearly averaged 1,000 receiving yards per season over his first three campaigns.

“Word leaked during the draft that Pickens was available if anyone wanted him,” The Athletic’s Jeff Howe wrote in a column published Wednesday. “Some teams polled by The Athletic at the time laughed at the idea of inviting Pickens into their locker room for any price, let alone a second-day draft pick. There wasn’t a lot of interest in talking with the Steelers about a trade.”

Despite what Howe’s report might make you believe, Pickens reportedly was “very well liked” in Pittsburgh. It’s unclear how the Georgia product truly felt about the Steelers, as he focused on his new chapter with the Cowboys when he issued his first public comments on the trade.