Pickens' time with the Steelers was marred by what were described as "maturity and accountability" issues, collecting over $200,000 in NFL and team fines in 2024 alone. Multiple reports out of Pittsburgh said head coach Mike Tomlin had to publicly reprimand Pickens more than once.

The Dallas Cowboys gave Dak Prescott another weapon when they traded for Pittsburgh Steelers’ wide receiver George Pickens. How did analysts grade the trade?

Before the 2025 NFL Draft, the czar of the Dallas Cowboys noted that he had a couple of irons in the fire with "two pretty substantive trades" in the works. One of those has since come to fruition with Dallas executing a deal to acquire wide receiver George Pickens from the Pittsburgh Steelers.