George Pickens Makes Major Claim About Steelers-Cowboys Trade

The George Pickens-Pittsburgh Steelers breakup is yesterday’s news, but the 24-year-old wasn’t done speaking his piece as a member of the Dallas Cowboys.

Pittsburgh traded Pickens — plus a 2027 sixth-round pick — to Dallas in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick along with a 2027 fifth-round selection. It was a semi-shocking swap considering the Steelers had also acquired wideout DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks, and elected not to run with the (potentially dynamic) Pickens-Metcalf tandem.

But Pickens wanted to make one detail clear regarding his exit from Pittsburgh and used a social media interaction with a fan on X to publicize the news.

“I forced (the trade) buddy,” Pickens responded in a now-deleted post, per PennLive’s Nick Farabaugh. “They were gladly keeping me … have a nice day and a blessed one my guy.”

Pickens added: “Lmao, I play for the Cowboys. Now stop reminiscing, bro. And trying to justify the trade, y’all just lost another good player to fake reports like this one.”

The Steelers selected Pickens with the 52nd overall pick in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft and watched the Georgia product grow into a potential cornerstone. Pickens was entering the final year of his rookie contract with Pittsburgh, but maturity and attitude problems made the organization’s brass hesitant to lock him down to an extension. Instead, the Steelers signed Metcalf, a two-time Pro Bowler, to a five-year, $150 million contract immediately after acquiring the 27-year-old. The writing was on the wall, and with Metcalf in Pittsburgh yellow, the insurance was in place to get rid of Pickens and move on from the ongoing saga that the Steelers wanted no part of.

Pickens recorded 59 catches for 900 yards and three touchdowns last season. The plan for Pickens, although in a new setting, shouldn’t change. Pickens wants a payday and it won’t land on his lap. Therefore, he should look to make the most of his opportunity in Dallas — and perhaps grow up, too, in the process.

He missed three games last season with a hamstring injury and arrived 40 minutes late for Pittsburgh’s Christmas Day game against the Kansas City Chiefs, per Mike DeFabo of The Athletic. It’s unlikely such antics will sit well with the Cowboys or bode well for Pickens’ pursuit of bolstering his stock value before next offseason.

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