The Pittsburgh Steelers waved Wednesday morning and news came out that the team had traded star-wide receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys. Even if the news itself is breaking down, fans may piece together a lot of clues, suggesting that Pickens' time in Burgh may be short-lived.
Pickens came out of Georgia and had some immature problems that sometimes occur during his three-year tenure with the Steelers. NFL analyst Dane Brugler further elaborates on several events of concern in his annual draft guide, The Beast: Pickens:
At the beginning of his career, there were several immature moments: a freshman who popped up a defender deal with Georgia Tech from a freshman and was suspended halfway through the following game (November 2019); a behavior marked as non-sports to squirt on a Tennessee player (October 2020).
Some of these concerns combine with the time he missed in his final season of recovering the ACL tear, which disengaged former rival five-star recruits from the first round of the 2022 NFL draft before being drafted by the Steelers in the second round with the 52nd overall draft pick.
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The “bad boy” behavior continues at different intervals during Black and Gold’s tenure and is often tagged on social media.
At that time, when teammates celebrated Diontae Johnson's first touchdown in 655 days, he jogged? Yes, that's a rough look. The moment he temporarily wiped his Instagram after he totaled -1 catch yards in his prime time loss in 2023. In a recent headline, Pickens canceled the team’s official Instagram account ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Although none of these individual instances point to any obvious role issues, their sum all draws Pittsburgh fans. Could he be the next distraction the team doesn’t need?
One of the most famous events of the 2024 season was the ongoing quarrel between Pickens and Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II. Naturally, the relationship between any two AFC northern competitors will inevitably have a harsh nature. The initial event between the two has gone beyond.
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In the first meeting between the Browns and the Steelers in Week 12, Pickens and Newsome took a step in the Hail Mary attempt at experienced quarterback Russell Wilson. However, the contact rate far exceeded the match as the two ended up in a near-full fight that reached the stands in the end area.
After the game, Pickens had some words about the loss to the media. "This situation has played a huge role in today's game. I really don't think the Cleveland Browns are a good team." No, Bob. A few days later, Pickens told the media: "I don't even know who that is" in response to Newsome's comments calling him a "fake tough guy." again, not good.
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After the incident, Newsome shared: "He is a person who cares a lot."
Starting December 1, Pickens has accumulated four fines per NFL penalty, including one taunt, another taunt, and another toward non-sports, which is the span of four games he played with a hamstring injury.
Although it’s not surprising that the best season of the Pickens’ career is not a surprise for the current Pickens in Dallas, it’s worth noting that the Steelers have a sixth feeling about when to move on from the best talent.
Of course, things are not all. Pickens showed a lot of benefits in Pittsburgh, and in schematic, all signs suggest he is perfectly suited to work in the middle and middle of the field with QB Dak Prescott and star receiver Ceedee Ceedee Lamb. Only time will tell if this is enough to alleviate some of the frustration fans have seen so far.