George Pickens trade: Alarming trend on Pittsburgh Steelers WRs emerges after Cowboys accusation

There is plenty to be said about the Cowboys’ trading for Steelers WR George Pickens yesterday. That said, a decade and a half of recent history with this scenario is particularly worth noting for ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Schefter tweeted out a statistic, provided by Paul ‘Hembo’ Hembekides, regarding the production for ex-Pittsburgh wide receivers after being traded from the franchise in the last 20 years. Pickens is now the eighth WR that meets that criteria. Each of the previous seven saw their production drop by almost 20%.

Here’s what George Pickens now will try to overcome in Dallas: There has not been a single Steelers’ wide receiver that has left Pittsburgh and gone on to produce more elsewhere. Each saw his per-game productivity – by yardage – fall off by at least 20 percent, via @PaulHembo. pic.twitter.com/K6w9E2haQ3

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 8, 2025

“Here’s what George Pickens now will try to overcome in Dallas: There has not been a single Steelers’ wide receiver that has left Pittsburgh and gone on to produce more elsewhere. Each saw his per-game productivity – by yardage – fall off by at least 20 percent, via @PaulHembo,” Schefter posted on Thursday.

The other seven receivers on the list were Santonio Holmes, Mike Wallace, Martavis Bryant, Antonio Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Chase Claypool, and Diontae Johnson. Per Schefter/Hembo, those receivers averaged 62.6 receiving yards per game while playing for Pittsburgh. Then, following their respective trades, they’ve posted 38.6 reception yards per game.

Now, a lot of things could play into that. Age could be one factor. All but one of these receivers were entering their late 20s, or their early 30s in the case of Brown. The respective teams could be a factor as well. There’s also an off-field or demeanor question for several of these players, with those maybe working in Pittsburgh but not within other franchises around the NFL.

Still, the numbers are currently the numbers. That leaves Pickens, a leading receiver each of the last two seasons with averages of 58 catches, 947 yards, and four touchdowns per year, as the latest to try to end that trend as he now goes to Dallas.

Personality can be a concern, but he’s also the youngest Pittsburgh receiver at the time that he was dealt. He’s going to a team that has had some of the league’s best offenses in the past six seasons with QB Dak Prescott leading their pass game with targets like CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper. Pickens will be their second target at best with Lamb still there. That could affect Pickens’ numbers, though.

This isn’t a statistic that would inspire confidence for Pickens in joining America’s team. However, it doesn’t mean that he can’t succeed with the Cowboys.