The Dallas Cowboys are finalizing a trade to acquire talented wide receiver George Pickens from the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to ESPN.
The 24-year-old Steelers star would head to Dallas in the proposed deal in exchange for a third-round pick, ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting. Pick swaps may also be involved as well.
Pickens was penciled in opposite newly acquired DK Metcalf on Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin’s depth chart. Now, after recently unfollowing the Steelers on social media, Pickens is set to play across from another All-Pro in star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb.
Wednesday’s report comes with Pickens entering the final year of his rookie contract, meaning it will be up to Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones to find a way to fit another contract alongside Lamb and quarterback Dak Prescott’s massive salaries.
Daily Mail has reached out to both Steelers and Cowboys spokespeople as well as Pickens’ agent David Mulugheta for confirmation.
A national champion at Georgia, the 6-foot-3 Pickens has dazzled fans with a string of highlight-reel receptions, while also facing accusations of immaturity. After incurring two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in a 2024 win over Cincinnati, Pickens was publicly scolded by Tomlin, who said the receiver has ‘just got to grow up, man.’
The Cowboys are finalizing a deal to acquire receiver George Pickens from the Steelers
Jerry Jones can now pair CeeDee Lamb with George Pickens on his improving offense
Even playing with five different quarterbacks over three seasons, Pickens has still managed 174 receptions for 2,841 yards and a dozen touchdowns on 293 targets. What’s more, he led the NFL by averaging 18.1 yards per catch in 2023.
But with Metcalf inking a five-year, $150 million deal with Pittsburgh after being acquired from Seattle, and the Steelers adding veteran receiver Robert Woods, Pickens’ chances of a massive contract extension appeared to be diminished.
Now the question is whether or not the Cowboys can fit a new Pickens deal with Lamb and Prescott accounting for nearly $400 million in cap space through the 2028 season.
And that doesn’t account for the massive new deal edge rusher Micah Parsons is hoping for in Dallas – something that could be impacted by Pickens’ contract situation.
Parsons is seen with his agent David Mulugheta before a game against the Browns
Interestingly, Parsons shares an agent with Pickens in Mulugheta, who has been at odds with Jones in Dallas.
Asked about the ongoing contract talks with Parsons’ camp, Jones told reporters in early April he didn’t know Mulugheta’s name and that the agent was ‘not a factor’ in negotiations.
Parsons, a four-time Pro Bowler with 52.5 career sacks, caught wind of those comments and stood up for his agent.
‘David is the best and I will not be doing any deal without [him] involved!,’ he wrote on X . ‘Like anyone with good sense I hired experts for a reason. There is no one I trust more when it comes to negotiating contracts than David! There will be no backdoors in this contract negotiation.’
Parsons’ post came in response to longtime Cowboys reporter Clarence Hill Jr, who had relayed Jones’ remarks and called Mulugheta one of the ‘best and most respected agents in the NFL.’
ESPN’s Dan Orvlovsky also wrote in the replies: ‘this won’t go well for Jerry lol. Mulugheta is as good as it gets in that business lol.’