Well after the George Pickens trade was finalized, one person had yet to publicly speak on the move. Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin did not appear in front of the press to give a comment on Pickens heading to Dallas. That changed on Saturday during Steelers rookie minicamp.
“I’m not going to add any color to it other than what (Pittsburgh general manager) Omar (Khan) told you guys yesterday,” Tomlin said. “We thought it was best and timely for all parties involved. Really, I’m just focused on the opportunity that is this weekend for the rookies.”
Khan gave his side of the story on Saturday, being the person who gave the green light on sending Pickens to the Cowboys. He said trading away the wide receiver made sense for both of them, giving everybody involved a fresh start.
“The trade sort of happened quickly,” Khan said. “We had some people inquire during the draft. Nothing that really made sense. The Cowboys reached out earlier this week. They proposed something for us to think about. We had conversations internally.
“We also had some conversations with George’s agent, Dave (Mulugheta), who I have a good relationship with. We discussed where things have been with George, where they are and where things could go with George. And this trade made sense for everyone. … We just felt that a fresh start for both sides was the right thing.”
To this point, Pickens has spent his entire playing career under Tomlin’s watch. Based on reports out there, the relationship between player and coach did not always seem the best. Maybe Tomlin played a role in wanting the Steelers to move on from Pittsburgh.
Pickens was a productive player in Pittsburgh despite the Steelers going through a carousel of quarterbacks throughout his career. In 48 games, Pickens has caught 174 passes for 2,841 yards and 12 touchdowns. The Steelers took him with the No. 52 overall pick back in the 2022 NFL Draft, investing a second-round pick on him before getting a third-round pick in return.
The 2024 season was good for 59 receptions for 900 yards and three scores. Numbers Dallas would certainly take as a second wide receiver, maybe wanting a few more touchdowns on the resume.
As for Pittsburgh, the wide receiver position now becomes a question outside of DK Metcalf. Tomlin will be the one who is primarily asked about them as the season grows nearer.
