Before Aaron Rodgers officially joined the Pittsburgh Steelers, his influence was already shaping their offseason decisions. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that the Steelers believed Rodgers and wide receiver George Pickens would clash due to Pickens’ maturity issues, prompting them to trade the 24-year-old to the Dallas Cowboys on May 7.
Fowler noted, “The Steelers parted ways with Pickens for several reasons. His well-documented maturity problems were a concern within the team’s locker room and front office, leading them to conclude that Pickens and Rodgers wouldn’t mesh well.”
In the trade, Pittsburgh sent Pickens and a 2027 sixth-round pick to Dallas, receiving a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick in return.
Pickens’ departure seemed inevitable, especially after the Steelers acquired DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks in March and signed him to a four-year, $132 million extension. The team’s frustration with Pickens grew over years of disruptive behavior, including over $200,000 in fines in 2023, $90,000 in 2024, tardiness for the Christmas Day game against the Kansas City Chiefs, and a post-game altercation with Cleveland Browns’ Greg Newsome II in Week 12.
Now with the Cowboys, Pickens has an opportunity to secure a lucrative contract in free agency next offseason while playing alongside Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb. Meanwhile, Rodgers and Metcalf are working on their connection, having trained together at UCLA in April.
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