For once, Shedeur Sanders wasn’t the focal point of the NFL day. That rare occasion occurred last Thursday morning when news broke that the Pittsburgh Steelers had traded George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys. This move had been anticipated, especially after the Steelers secured DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks at the onset of free agency.

A fallout must have occurred between Pickens and Mike Tomlin in the locker room, as Pickens is still under his rookie contract with a cap hit of $3.656 million in 2025. Despite being part of a conservative offense last season, Pickens managed over 50 receptions, exceeding 900 yards, and scored 3 touchdowns, yet the Steelers decided to part ways with him. This isn’t the first instance the Steelers have let go of high-caliber receivers. They did the same in 2010 with Santonio Holmes, Martavis Bryant, Antonio Brown, Diontae Johnson, and Chase Claypool.

All excelled with the Steelers, but outside Pittsburgh, only Brown had a remarkable season with Tampa Bay. Cameron Heyward, a leader within the Steelers, shared his thoughts on the situation. On his podcast, Not Just Football, the defensive lineman and team leader, Cameron Heyward, discussed Pittsburgh’s history with its receivers. What influence will George Pickens have on the Dallas Cowboys? | Speak “We need to examine the track record of wide receiver trades,” Heyward remarked.

“There’s a solid precedent for when to make trades and what to anticipate. I saw a statistic—only about three or four receivers have extended beyond their rookie contracts with the Steelers. That’s astonishing. “We had AB; we had Diontae Johnson; Hines Ward; I think JuJu [Smith-Schuster] for one additional year. In general, they know when to renew and when to trade, and we’ll see the outcome. We might end up stronger because of it.”

Heyward mentioned it was unexpected to him, although several Steelers insiders believe that once the team signed DK Metcalf for five years at $150 million at the start of free agency, it was evident Pickens was departing. “I wasn’t aware of it… I woke up the next morning, and he had already been traded,” Heyward shared. “Was I taken aback? Yes, but that’s part of the game. I understand it benefits both teams. We receive another third-round pick. They acquire a receiver to pair with CeeDee Lamb. Would I have liked to see George and DK play together? Absolutely, but I hope something is in the pipeline. I don’t know.”