The Pittsburgh Steelers' fanbase was split on the team's decision to send George Pickens packing his bags for the Dallas Cowboys in May. Pickens, a second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, has averaged over 1,000 receiving yards each of the past two seasons and was only beginning to scratch the surface of his talent.
Don't look now, but Pickens is blowing up Cowboys camp.
Early in training camp, the talented wide receiver has come down with highlight catches in the back of the endzone or jumpballs down the field. During Thursday's practice, a video captured by Jon Machota of The Athletic showed Pickens toasting a defensive back deep down the field for an effortless touchdown grab.
George Pickens TD 👀 pic.twitter.com/1SLWVvaXfb
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) July 31, 2025
Pickens is already gaining chemistry with quarterback Dak Prescott, and playing alongside All-Pro receiver CeeDee Lamb will only make his job easier. Though Pickens is having an impressive training camp with the Dallas Cowboys, Steelers fans will soon be reminded why the team was forced to move on.
The Pittsburgh Steelers made the right decision trading George Pickens (even with his highlight plays at Cowboys camp)
It's easy to get recency bias when it comes to things like this. Pittsburgh Steelers fans long to have a wide receiver upgrade alongside DK Metcalf, and George Pickens could have been that guy. But I shouldn't need to remind you that Pickens comes with baggage.
Though he's never been suspended for an NFL game, Pickens came under fire multiple times with the Steelers due to a lack of effort and his questionable responses to the media. It was his Week 5 Sunday Night Football game against the Cowboys (ironically) last year that Pickens' effort was questioned most. Despite his youth and impressive physical traits, the young wide receiver seemed to be jogging on just about every route.
Pickens could also be counted on for his media session blunders during his first three seasons with the Steelers. At times, Pickens would fail to take responsibility for his performance on the field and deflect the blame to the media. During one media session, Pickens even walked away instead of answering a question.
It's only a matter of time before George Pickens becomes a colossal headache for the Dallas Cowboys. When the team starts losing and he's not getting the ball enough, Pittsburgh Steelers fans will be reminded of why the team needed to trade him in the first place.
So don't get all worked up over Pickens' highlight plays at Cowboys training camp—we knew he was going to make plenty of those. This is simply the calm before the storm.