The George Pickens experience has been a rollercoaster ride for America's Team. Dallas Cowboys fans, upon Pickens' arrival, were equal parts excited about the talent that the team added at wide receiver and weary of the reputation that preceded Pickens and the cost to keep him long-term.
But the doubters were quickly silenced as, despite an up-and-down 2025 campaign and the Pittsburgh Steelers making the playoffs without their former star wideout, Pickens flat-out dominated for Brian Schottenheimer's offense. Plus, he did so on an offense with plenty of mouths to feed.
Now, Pickens' contract dispute with the Dallas front office is a fairy large elephant in the room as the NFL Draft approaches and the 2026 offseason progresses. That said, the Cowboys are still winners of this trade, at least for now, even if one our fellow Steelers writers is taking a premature victory lap.
Dallas Cowboys are still winners of George Pickens trade with Steelers despite recency bias
Andrew Falce of Still Curtain, our sister FanSided site for the Pittsburgh Steelers, recently wrote a piece describing why, ahead of the one-year anniversary of the Pickens deal, which sent the wideout and a 6th-round pick to Dallas for a 3rd and 5th-rounder this year, the Steelers are the clear winners.
"However, given how the offseason has gone for both teams, this feels like a win," Falce wrote. "The Steelers have reconstructed their receiver room and are expected to add another name early in this draft. While one could argue that Pickens is still the best player out of both rosters, he is once again causing drama."
That drama is, of course, the aforementioned contract situation hanging over Jerry Jones and the fanbase's head. But Pickens wants to be in Dallas, and the Cowboys will get the deal done. This shouldn't escalate to being a Micah Parsons situation; it's just taking some financial gymnastics.
Falce's point is more so about how the Steelers have come out on the other side of the deal favorably. And, as it pertains to their wide receiver room, that could soon be true for them. But if Aaron Rodgers leaves Pittsburgh out to dry, who on Earth is going to be throwing D.K. Metcalf and Co. the football?
The Cowboys, for all the holes they still need to address, at least know the answer to the quarterback question. With Pickens, Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, plus a new-look defense, Dallas should be just as good, if not better than the Steelers in 2026 and beyond. Especially if Pickens gets his deal.
Time will ultimately tell who the real winner of this trade is. Sometimes, trades are a win-win, and other times, there are no winners. We haven't zoomed out enough yet to see the entire picture. So, for as strong as Falce's points are, he might be putting the cart a bit before the horse here.
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