Pittsburgh Steelers fans spent most of the 2025 season regretting the team's decision to trade George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys. The talented 2022 second-round pick was on track for an All-Pro season through November. But in recent weeks, the Cowboys have been getting a taste of what the Steelers dealt with when it comes to Pickens.
Against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football in Week 15, Pickens had a quiet night. The high-profile receiver recorded just 33 yards and three receptions on six targets. In a game in which quarterback Dak Prescott threw for nearly 300 yards, Pickens' impact failed to leave a dent.
If this were a one-off performance, it would be more excusable. However, Pickens was coming off the worst game of his Cowboys career.
In Week 14 against the Lions on Thursday Night Football, Pickens' effort was questioned, as he seemed to dog his routes and appeared to be going at half-speed. As a result, he earned a mere 37 yards on nine targets against the Lions.
Over the past three weeks, Pickens has earned just 14 receptions on 28 targets (50 percent catch rate) while turning these opportunities into just 158 yards. This equates to a mere 5.6 yards per target. Pickens has also fumbled twice during this span and has led Prescott to a pair of interceptions when targeted since Week 12, per advanced stats from Pro Football Reference.
All of this adds up to a dismal 37.5 passer rating for Prescott while targeting Pickens over the past three games... and Cowboys fans are left wondering how long this will last.
Pittsburgh Steelers fans can be thankful they no longer have to deal with WR George Pickens
Pickens' talent is undeniable. At times, he looks like the best wide receiver in the league. Other times—as we've witnessed in recent weeks—his impact is felt negatively. And Cowboys fans are learning what we already knew about this talented receiver.
While most fans would welcome Pickens back to Pittsburgh (especially after the issues the Steelers have had at the wide receiver position), this is a good reminder that Pickens can't be counted on with any consistency.
The same thing happened with the Steelers last year, but it was even worse. Over his final four games in Pittsburgh, Pickens mustered up just 11 receptions on 26 targets for 172 yards (6.6 yards per target). In his final game with the team, Pickens earned zero yards on six targets in a pivotal matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals with playoff seeding on the line.
George Pickens is only going to be as good as the effort he puts into the game and how hard he works on a week-by-week basis. The young receiver is having an excellent year overall, and he's still just 24 years old.
But Steelers fans can at least feel some level of vindication for the team's decision to trade him before the 2025 season.