George Pickens keeps giving the Steelers another reason to wince.
A year after Pittsburgh moved on from him, the receiver is thriving in Dallas, and the latest glimpse from Cowboys camp only sharpened the pain. Fort Worth Star-Telegram reporter Nick Harris saw Pickens haul in multiple catches during Tuesday’s practice, including a back-shoulder completion from Dak Prescott. It was more proof that the pairing is already clicking, and that Dallas has found a way to use the kind of talent the Steelers could only catch in flashes.
Pickens arrived in Dallas after a trade that sent a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick to Pittsburgh in exchange for Pickens and a 2027 sixth-round pick. That third-rounder became Drew Allar, but after Pickens’ 2025 season, the return looks thin. He posted career bests with 93 catches, 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns, then added his first Pro Bowl selection and second-team All-Pro honors.
The production wasn’t some brand-new discovery. Pickens is 25 and already has 267 receptions for 4,270 yards and 21 touchdowns through four seasons.
His 18.1 yards per catch in 2023 led the NFL, a reminder that the big-play juice was always there. Dallas just matched it with Dak Prescott and a passing game that knows how to feature him.
That back-shoulder throw Tuesday fit Pickens perfectly. His size, body control and ability at the catch point make those tight-window plays dangerous, and they give Prescott a clean answer when a defense takes away the deep shot. With CeeDee Lamb pulling attention elsewhere, Pickens can still be the target when the matchup calls for it.
For Pittsburgh, the sting is obvious. The Steelers spent years trying to navigate a quarterback situation that never settled after Ben Roethlisberger retired following the 2021 season, and Pickens left that mess behind before immediately producing at a level Pittsburgh only saw in pieces. His exit was rocky and the relationship wore out, but the offense has not replaced the stress he put on defenses.
Dallas, meanwhile, locked him in with the franchise tag after his career year, and he signed it in April. The one-year deal sends him back into a contract season with another huge payday sitting out there if he can match what he did in 2025.
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