Latest George Pickens news proves why the Pittsburgh Steelers had to trade him despite the obvious need at wide receiver
It’s not surprising to hear that despite a change of scenery, it’s still the same old George Pickens.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are still searching for their George Pickens replacement as you read this article. Whatever your stance was on the blockbuster decision to let go of the team’s top offensive weapon last offseason, two things are abundantly clear:
It has been a struggle to replace him, and his character and antics were the straw that broke the camel’s back in Pittsburgh. Well, here we are a year later, Pickens is with a totally new team, but it’s still the same old problems.
George Pickens’ maturity issues have continued in Dallas
“The questions about him in Pittsburgh — maturity, timeliness — weren’t as much of a problem for the Cowboys. That doesn’t mean those issues disappeared when he arrived in Dallas. Coach Brian Schottenheimer alluded to Pickens still being late to things, and multiple sources said Pickens was fined during the season.” – Todd Archer, ESPN
Here’s the thing about George Pickens. On Sunday’s, he’s a dominant player. Look no further than his career year in Dallas in 2025, where he went for milestones in receptions (93), yards (1,429), and touchdowns (9).
But as we at A to Z Sports Pittsburgh reported in the spring of 2025, Pickens was regularly tardy for meetings, team charters, and even games. It’s no surprise to see that, as well as the fines continue for him.
Pickens marched (and apparently still marches) to the beat of his own drum. He struggles with discipline and authority from Monday through Saturday, but he makes up for it by being the best player on the field on any given Sunday. The hope was that in a contract year, and after being traded from a team known to deal with characters, he would change. Well, it hasn’t, but pickens is so good, it might not matter.
Cowboys are likely to ignore the red flags and keep George Pickens in Dallas
To get a better grasp of Pickens’ season with the Cowboys and if this report could lead to a potential departure from Pickens, I reached out to A to Z Sports Dallas creator Mauricio Rodríguez, who gave his thoughts on the situation.
“I just don’t see the latest intel on Pickens’ fines being a big deal. We’ve known about some of the “issues” he had in his first year with the Cowboys, including being benched for the opening drive of a Week 11 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. But I think the bottom line remains none of those have been locker room problems. That is to say, Pickens never took aim at coaches or players when things didn’t go his way. He showed accountability when he had a slow game against the Detroit Lions that had many people around the NFL world criticizing his effort.”
“And according to everyone who has had something to say about it, he was one of the best teammates in the Cowboys locker room. I understand his past with the Steelers makes this relevant, but circumstances are very different in this scenario. And I wouldn’t expect this to translate into a sticking point when negotiations begin. If anything, there will be disagreement over how much he’s really worth, as agent David Mulugheta is likely going to start things off by asking top-of-the-market money.” – Rodriguez
I fully expect Pickens to keep playing at an elite level. But if he hasn’t learned his lesson yet, I’m afraid he may never. The Cowboys throwing him a second contract may further prove that.
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