The Steelers had no intention to trade wide receiver George Pickens to the Cowboys until Dallas called earlier this week and made them an offer they couldn't refuse.
Steelers general manager Omar Khan said Friday once the team heard the offer from the Cowboys, the internal discussions began on moving Pickens and what that would mean to the roster.
"They proposed something for us to think about," Khan said. "And you know, we had conversations internally. We also had some conversations with George's agent, Dave (Mulugheta), who I have a good relationship with. And you know, we discussed where things have been with George, where they are and where things could go with George. And you know this trade made sense for everyone."
Once that was decided to be the case, the Steelers sent Pickens, the team's leading receiver, to the Cowboys along with a 2027 sixth-round draft pick for a third-round pick in the 2026 draft and a 2027 fifth-round selection.
Khan said Mulugheta never expressed a desire that Pickens be traded, but in the end, both sides agreed that they would both be better off if the trade was consummated.
"We just kind of talked about it, lots of serious conversation, honest conversations, and we just felt that a fresh start for both sides was the right thing," Khan said.
The Steelers acquired wide receiver DK Metcalf via a trade with the Seattle Seahawks in March and also signed veteran wide receiver Robert Woods last week. The team returns Calvin Austin III, Roman Wilson and Scotty Miller, among others, at the wide receiver position.
"We wouldn't have done this if we didn't feel good about the receiver situation, about our depth here," Khan said. "You know, I know people make a comparison about last year. It's not even close to being the same.
"Obviously we've made an investment with DK. We've had another year with some of the young guys and gotten to know them, watch them develop. We added Robert Woods. Roman's healthy. I've seen him the last couple weeks out here and how he's doing, and we saw how he was progressing at the end of last year. Obviously he didn't get the chance to get on the field, but there was some excitement there. But we have a good group."
That doesn't mean that Khan won't still look to add to the position.
"If there's an opportunity to add a playmaker and offense, regardless of whether it's a receiver or whatever it is, we're gonna look into it. And if it makes sense, it makes sense. But there's always good players available."
As for the timing of the move – two weeks after the NFL Draft was completed – Khan said that was simply the way things worked out.
The Steelers weren't actively shopping Pickens prior to or during the draft, though some teams did call.
"The trade that was interesting to us was not there on draft weekend," Khan said. "You know, teams called and a lot of times, you just talk in hypotheticals, and people say, 'Hey, would you do X, Y or Z?' And most of the time the answer is no."
In this case, the answer became yes.
• Dale Lolley is co-host of "SNR Drive" on Steelers Nation Radio. Subscribe to the podcast here: Apple Podcast | iHeart Podcast Pittonline@iheartmedia.com
"It just made sense that the fresh start was a good idea, and it was business," Khan said.
The deal now potentially gives the Steelers 12 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, which is considered to be even deeper than usual. Not only do the Steelers have all seven of their own selections, they are expected to receive compensatory selections for free agent losses this offseason in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth rounds. Those picks will not be announced until next year. And now they also own Dallas' third-round selection in the 2026 draft.
"It was important for us to acknowledge the fact that we could be in a position to acquire a young quarterback next year," Khan said. "You saw things we did in the offseason. That's obviously something that was on the back of our minds when we made decisions. And we'll see how it all shakes out."
In the meantime, the goal of the team remains the same. The Steelers remain invested in winning as many games as possible in 2025.
"We're chasing a championship, and every decision we make is based on trying to win a championship, not only in the future, but this year," Khan said. "We're focused on trying to win a championship this year. I know there's a lot of questions about different things, but there's a lot of time between now and the start of the season, and rest assured, we're trying to win a championship this year."
