When the Pittsburgh Steelers trade young, talented players in the prime of their careers, it stings. But it feels like the ultimate gut-punch to know that two of the best players general manager Omar Khan drafted are now on the Dallas Cowboys.
Steelers fans had enough reasons to hate the Cowboys already. Pittsburgh went 0-4 against Dallas in the '90s, including their Super Bowl defeat after that 1995 season. And having to watch 'America's Team' constantly in the primetime spotlight is nauseating at times.
But with Joey Porter Jr. and George Pickens now sporting the blue navy star on their helmet, it makes it that much worse.
Just days after forcing his way out of Pittsburgh, Porter's 'back' injury magically disappeared as he suited up for his first game with the Cowboys. Porter logged 24 snaps (16 coverage snaps) and did not allow a single reception while being targeted just once.
Pickens, meanwhile, did Pickens things. Dallas was down 10 points in the third quarter when the talented wideout hauled in a 53-yard bomb from quarterback Dak Prescott. This led to a scoring drive and an eventual Cowboys win.
The cherry on top was watching Joey Porter Sr. celebrate while backhanding the Steelers' organization. And as Steelers fans, we have every right to be bitter about these trades all over again.
The Joey Porter Jr. and George Pickens trades give Steelers fans even more reason to hate the Cowboys
We should mention that these aren't the only two former high draft picks the Cowboys have poached from the Steelers. Before the Porter trade, Khan sent 2023 first-round pick Broderick Jones packing for Dallas in a pick-swap deal.
However, it stings worse than we could have imagined watching Pickens and Porter find success in Dallas.
The Cowboys are coming off a big 34-30 road win. Pickens' 75-yard performance and Porter's shutdown showing both played a role in Dallas' victory.
The Steelers, meanwhile, acted like they wanted to compete in the playoffs. But trading away two of their best players to the Cowboys since May 2025 runs counter to the objective of trying to win games in the postseason.
Now Steelers fans are cursed to watch Pickens and Porter light it up in the spotlight with the most popular team in the NFL. These two stars may be able to help Dallas make a splash in the playoffs, too.
Obviously, Porter is extremely early in his Cowboys tenure, and we don't know how his career in Dallas will ultimately go. However, we know he's a talented football player with lockdown man-coverage ability, and expectations are high.
Meanwhile, Pickens is already coming off of one exceptional year with the Cowboys in which he put up 93 receptions for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns. Now the exceptional talent is finally starting to unlock his true potential in Dallas.
It's not that we have ill-will toward George Pickens or Joey Porter Jr.; it's knowing that the Pittsburgh Steelers turned the page on these immensely talented football players entirely too soon. Now it's even harder to watch the Dallas Cowboys play, knowing two of their best players could have been foundation roster assets in Pittsburgh.
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