Cowboys Get Last Laugh on Steelers' Mike McCarthy

The Pittsburgh Steelers were on the wrong end of a very rare NFL scenario.

Pittsburgh Steelers

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers were on the phone with USC wide receiver Makai Lemon before the Philadelphia Eagles traded up to pick No. 20 in the NFL Draft to select him first. The move surpassed the Steelers, who believed they had their new wideout with the 21st pick, only to have to pivot to offensive tackle Max Iheanachor instead.

All because the Dallas Cowboys did something that's very rare.

The Cowboys decided that with the 20th pick in the draft, they'd be open to trading back. That doesn't come as much of a surprise as team are constantly moving around the NFL Draft. What was shocking, was that the Cowboys traded with the Eagles, allowing an in-division rival to move up and land "their guy," while also messing with a team in the AFC North that has very little to do with their success on a yearly basis.

But there is one connection.

Head coach Mike McCarthy took the 2025 season off of the NFL after being fired by the Cowboys the year prior. After five years in Dallas, McCarthy became a free agent before returning to his hometown of Pittsburgh and replacing Mike Tomlin as the head coach of the Steelers.

Pittsburgh wanted Lemon. They believed that being patient and waiting until pick No. 21 was working in their favor, and that they didn't need to jump the Cowboys because the Cowboys weren't going to cause any issues in terms of stealing Lemon.

What they didn't expect was for the Cowboys to trade their pick to their biggest rival and allow them to steal Lemon from them.

A move that may not have been inential to hurt McCarthy but sure has a strange connection attached to it. And no one is going to be able to explain the Cowboys being so willing to let their biggest threat at a playoff spot get better.

What's Next for the Steelers?

The Steelers still need a wide receiver. Germie Bernard, Denzel Boston and Chris Brazzell top the list of available options, with Skyler Bell and Zachariah Branch likely being behind them as third-round options.

Look for the Steelers to make wide receiver one of their top priorities for the remainder of the draft. They clearly wanted a big name in Lemon but could look for some of the top names on Day 2 instead.

Only this time, they might be prepared to make sure the Cowboys don't trade the pick in front of them last second.

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