Steelers General Manager Omar Khan Has Executives Disappointed After Controversial Move

pittsburgh steelers There was a lot of roster turnover during the 2025 offseason, and a lot of it came on the offensive side of the ball. The entire quarterback room changed, and there was a big change at wide receiver george pickens was traded to dallas cowboys After the Pittsburgh takeover DK Metcalfe From Seattle SeahawksThe move was outraged at the time as many fans wanted to see what the offense could look like with both Pickens and Metcalf, but the fan base never got a chance to see it as Pickens was dealt in May,

Cowboys official website

New Cowboys teammates CeeDee Lamb (left) and George Pickens (right) stand on the practice field as both get some work during 2025 offseason activities.

Pickens’ time in Pittsburgh was tumultuous. He was causing problems behind the scenes as he was late to meetings, practices, even games, and it was clearly time for a change of scenery for the wide receiver. The potential problems he was causing and concerns for his maturity level were hurting his trade value, along with the fact that he was approaching the final year of his rookie deal. without paying attention, jerry jones And Dallas decided to trade for him, as the Cowboys sent a third-round pick and a fifth-round pick to Pittsburgh in exchange for Pickens and a sixth-round pick.

This trade has been good for Dallas as Pickens is having the best season of his career. nfl insider Diana Russini Wrote about trading in a recent article for athleticWhere he shared that other officials are still surprised by the move.

Russini wrote, “After missing out on landing a top-tier receiver in this year’s draft, Jones made a move that raised eyebrows at the time.” “In early May, Dallas finalized a deal with Pittsburgh in which the Steelers sent a 2027 sixth-round pick along with Pickens to the Cowboys in exchange for a 2026 third-rounder and a 2027 fifth-round pick. Rival executives are still shaking their heads over the return of Jones, who was traded out of the Steelers — and how it could be viewed as the Cowboys trade of the year.”

It’s probably true to call the Pickens acquisition the trade of the year for Dallas, and that statement holds some weight given the volume of deals Jones has made. he dealt with Micah Parsons till green Bay Packers in exchange for significant draft capital, and it also acquired quinnan williams From New York Jets,

Benjamin B. Braun/Post-Gazette

Former Steelers wide receiver George Pickens pointed for the first time in a loss against the New York Jets in Week 7 of the 2024 season.

Pickens’ talent level was always obvious, which is why other league executives still can’t believe it Omar Khan Only a third-day pick swap and a third-round pick were received in exchange for the young wide receiver. Again, other factors reduced Pickens’ trade value, but in retrospect, Khan should have found a way to bring in some more capital in exchange for Pickens. Being duped by Jones is not a good thing for anyone, Jones is a person whose decisions are often criticized and considered delusional.

Pickens is having a career year, and it couldn’t come at a better time as his rookie deal is set to expire after the 2025 season. Through 11 games, the young wide receiver has 67 receptions and over 1,000 receiving yards. He has already set his career high for a season when it comes to touchdowns as he has scored eight. Dallas would have the option to franchise tag Pickens, but the player and his team would probably want a long-term deal.

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The Cowboys’ George Pickens watches during practice in Dallas.

Pickens’ current market value sits at more than $30 million per season Spotrac The five-year deal is estimated to be worth approximately $153 million.

What do you think about the Pickens trade? Did Khan get cheated? Let us know in the comments below!