Steelers General Manager Omar Khan Has Executives Disappointed After Controversial Move

The Pittsburgh Steelers had a lot of roster turnover during the 2025 offseason, and a lot of that came on the offensive side of the ball. The entire quarterback room changed, and there was a major shift at wide receiver as George Pickens was traded to the Dallas Cowboys after Pittsburgh had acquired DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks. The move was frowned upon 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 the chance to see that as Pickens was dealt in May.

Pickens had an up and down time in Pittsburgh. He was causing issues 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 issues he was causing and concerns for his level of maturity hurt his trade value, as did the fact that he was coming up on the final year of his rookie deal. Regardless, Jerry Jones and Dallas decided to trade for him, as the Cowboys sent Pittsburgh a third-round pick and a fifth-round pick in exchange for Pickens and a sixth-round pick.

The trade has worked out well for Dallas as Pickens is having the best season of his career. NFL insider Dianna Russini wrote about the trade in a recent article for The Athletic, where she shared that other executives are still surprised by the move.

"After striking out on landing a top-tier receiver in this year’s draft, Jones made a move that, at the time, raised eyebrows," Russini wrote. "By early May, Dallas finalized a deal with Pittsburgh, with the Steelers sending a 2027 sixth-round pick along with Pickens to the Cowboys in exchange for a 2026 third and a 2027 fifth. Rival executives are still shaking their heads at the return Jones squeezed out of the Steelers — and how this might be looked at as the Cowboys trade of the year."

Calling the Pickens acquisition the trade of the year for Dallas is probably true, and that statement carries some weight considering the amount of deals that Jones has made. He dealt Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for significant draft capital, and he also acquired Quinnen Williams from the New York Jets.

Pickens' talent level was always obvious, which is why other executives around the league still can't believe Omar Khan only got a Day 3 pick swap and a third-round pick in exchange for the young wide receiver. Again, other factors diminished Pickens' trade value, but looking back, Khan should have found a way to bring in some more capital in exchange for Pickens. It is not a great look for someone to get swindled by Jones, who is someone whose decisions are often criticized and seen as delusional.

Steelers' Ex-Wide Receiver Set To Become One Of League's Highest-Paid Receivers

Pickens is having a career year, and that could not 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 will have the option to franchise tag Pickens, but the player and his team will probably want a long-term deal. 

Pickens' current market value sits at over $30 million per season, with Spotrac projecting a five-year deal worth roughly $153 million.

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

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