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."

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.