George Pickens is having the best statistical season of his NFL career in what’s his first year with the Dallas Cowboys, but the fourth-year wide receiver has some regrets about his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“I was still a kid. I made some mistakes. I’ll own that. I let my emotions get the best of me a few times, because I’m always riding that line,” Pickens said about his time with the Steelers in a post on The Players’ Tribune. “That’s just who I am. I’ve tried to learn from it and grow while still being ME.
“Now the media in Pittsburgh? I admit … I was trolling y’all a little bit. I apologize! But I don’t have a bad word to say about Pittsburgh. I can call up Coach T right now and we’d have a real conversation. What I respect about him most is he always told me, ‘Just keep being you, George.’ It just wasn’t the long-term fit for where my journey was headed, and that’s OK.”
Pickens spent the first three seasons of his career with the Steelers (2022-24), who selected him with the No. 52 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Georgia. Over his three years in Pittsburgh, Pickens averaged 58 receptions for 947 yards and four touchdowns per season and led the NFL with 18.1 yards per reception in 2023. He led the Steelers in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns twice apiece and receptions once.
Pickens and the Steelers didn’t agree to an extension, and he was traded in May. Dallas acquired Pickens and a 2027 sixth-round pick from Pittsburgh for a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick. Pickens will be a free agent after the 2025 season.
“They did right by me. They sent me to the perfect spot in Dallas,” Pickens said about the trade. “What more do you want me to say? There’s no drama, bro. No headlines to write. They’re doing things their way up there, and I’m down here in Dallas with [star wide receiver] CeeDee [Lamb] and [quarterback] Dak [Prescott] doing what I do best. Everybody wins.”
Through 10 games, Pickens has totaled 58 receptions for 908 yards and a career-high seven touchdowns this season; he’s on pace to register a career-high in receptions and receiving yards, too. Pickens has logged 130-plus receiving yards in three games this season, including racking up nine receptions for 144 yards and one touchdown in the Cowboys’ road win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday night.
Pickens and the Cowboys are 4-5-1 and coming off an active trade deadline that saw them acquire defensive tackle and three-time Pro Bowler Quinnen Williams and linebacker Logan Wilson. They host the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app). Meanwhile, the Steelers are atop the AFC North at 6-4.
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