Cowboys' new star George Pickens reveals reason behind Steelers exit

George Pickens is the latest offensive star on Jerry Jones' Dallas Cowboys. The former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver will play for the Cowboys in the 2025 season after America's team acquired him via trade.

Pickens joins the Cowboys after spending his professional football career playing for Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh. He was the team's WR1 while Kenny Pickett was the starting quarterback, and more recently, with Justin Fields and Russell Wilson throwing him the ball in the 2024 regular season.

Following his trade, Pickens shared the reason for his exit from the Pittsburgh Steelers. According to Jon Machota on X (formerly known as Twitter) he said:

"This game is just as much a business as it is football. It's kinda like out of my control. I'm glad to be here in Dallas and able to continue the winning culture that they have."

Pickens had just one year left on his rookie contract. But the Steelers never showed signs of being eager to renew the contract. Hence, it's unsurprising that the franchise opted to recoup some draft capital ahead of the 2025 regular season rather than lose him on a free.

George Pickens' addition helps Cowboys' playoff push

The Dallas Cowboys posted a 7-10 record in the 2024 regular season. They finished third in the NFC East and missed the 2024-25 playoffs. It was the first time since 2020 that Jerry Jones' side failed to play in the postseason, and this likely contributed to the decision to move in a different coaching direction.

The Cowboys lacked an elite WR2 in the 2024 campaign, which led to opponents double-teaming star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. However, that should end with the addition of an elite deep ball threat in George Pickens.

Jerry Jones has given Dak Prescott a new offensive weapon as he returns from a season-ending hamstring injury. The perennial Pro Bowler will have a similar set-up as he did when CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper were catching the ball in Dallas a couple of seasons ago.

As for Pickens, he'll look to become the next great Cowboys wide receiver, following in the footsteps of Dez Bryant, Michael Irvin and current teammate Lamb. He could endear himself to the fan base by contributing to their Super Bowl push in the upcoming season.