The Dallas Cowboys had every intention of selecting a No. 2 wide receiver for Dak Prescott in the 2025 NFL Draft. Arizona star Tetairoa McMillan would have been the pick at No. 12 overall, but the Carolina Panthers scooped him up four picks earlier.
When the dust settled, Dallas didn't come away with a single WR, leaving many to question what exactly they would do to add more firepower. A little over a month later, they answered that emphatically by acquiring George Pickens from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pickens was one of the best receivers in the NFL last season, ranking sixth with 93 catches, third with 1,429 receiving yards, and eighth with nine touchdowns. Everything that was said post-trade came true: Pickens was a perfect fit with Prescott and the ideal complementary wideout for CeeDee Lamb.
A historically bad defensive season is the only reason the Cowboys missed the playoffs. Meanwhile, in Pittsburgh, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk thinks the Steelers could make a move for Tyreek Hill, whose status for 2026 is up in the air as he recovers from a catastrophic knee injury.
"The Steelers could be in play. They've got DK Metcalf, and what, Calvin Austin III? No offense, he's not Tyreek Hill," Florio said.
Steelers are desperate for a WR after trading George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys
Hill is now a free agent after being released by the Miami Dolphins. There are worse options available, but pursuing Hill would be a sad encapsulation of the Steelers' repeated attempts to cling to relevancy.
It's why they hired Mike McCarthy to replace Mike Tomlin rather than a younger head coach. It's why a 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers will be their starting quarterback next season, if he doesn't retire, after ranking 28th with a 43.8 percent success rate and 22nd with a 0.077 EPA per play, per RBSDM.
The Steelers thought trading for and extending D.K. Metcalf was an adequate plan to replace Pickens. Metcalf caught just 56 passes for 850 yards and six touchdowns. That's a highly underwhelming stat line for the game's fourth-highest-paid wide receiver at $32.9 million per year.
On his best days, Metcalf is a top-15 receiver in the league. Pickens, meanwhile, was arguably worthy of a First-Team All-Pro nod this past season. He’s clearly a top-10 talent and could push into the top five if he follows up his 2025 breakout with another dominant year in 2026.
Metcalf and Hill could form a formidable duo, but there is no telling if Hill, whose athleticism was already declining, will be the same player post-surgery.
Regardless, Rodgers certainly isn't the quarterback to accentuate Hill's downfield prowess. He gets the ball out faster than any QB.
Pickens helped elevate Dallas into the conversation for the league’s most dangerous offense. They’re built to win now, and every move since the trade — from acquiring Quinnen Williams to hiring Christian Parker as defensive coordinator — reinforces a blueprint aimed at sustained contention.
Signing Hill would signal that Pittsburgh is still content with hovering around 8–10 wins and hoping to sneak into January.