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George Pickens Trade to Cowboys Was Reportedly a Mike Tomlin Decision
Mike Tomlin was ready to move on from George Pickens.
On Wednesday, the Pittsburgh Steelers traded wide receiver George Pickens and a 2027 sixth-round pick to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a third-round pick in 2026 and a fifth-rounder in 2027. Pickens led the Steelers in receiving yards during the 2024 season, and the team failed to upgrade its receiving corps in the 2025 draft. Despite those factors, Pittsburgh made the move. Now we might know why.
Steelers insider Mark Kaboly is reporting that the team's head coach was ready to move on from Pickens. After a multitude of issues over the years, Tomlin was finally done.
Kaboly wrote about the move on X saying, "Make no mistake about it, Tomlin – who has gone out of his way in the past to defend Pickens – is the one who decided that the Pickens rehabilitation project needed to end a year early."
Kaboly: A Steelers trade that made no sense and all the sense in the world
— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly) May 7, 2025
Mark Kaboly / Steelers Correspondent
For The @PatMcAfeeShow
PITTSBURGH — When Mike Tomlin feels it's time to move on, you better believe that it’s time to move on.
It quickly got to the point where the… pic.twitter.com/Z5cTcmZvVo
Pickens reportedly didn't ask for a trade and Steelers general manager Omar Khan didn't make the decision, Tomlin did.
The talented 24-year-old wideout is heading into a contract year and could have become even more of a distraction for Pittsburgh. The team is still pursuing quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and there's a pretty strong likelihood the two would have clashed given their personalities.
The Steelers landed DK Metcalf this offseason, so Pickens's role would have been reduced anyway. He wasn't as important to the team anymore and Tomlin was ready to put him in the past.
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Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.