The Dallas Cowboys sent shockwaves through the NFL with a blockbuster trade on May 7, 2025, acquiring wide receiver George Pickens from the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 2026 third-round pick, a 2027 fifth-round pick, and receiving a 2026 sixth-round pick in return, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The move addresses a glaring need for a No. 2 receiver to complement superstar CeeDee Lamb, who’s been carrying Dallas’ passing game almost single-handedly. A cryptic GIF posted by Lamb late Tuesday night—a waving Ralph Wiggum from “The Simpsons”—sparked speculation that he knew the deal was coming, fueling fan excitement about a potential game-changing duo. With new coach Brian Schottenheimer shaking up the locker room and Dak Prescott back from injury, this trade could be the spark Dallas needs to climb out of their 7-10 rut. Let’s break down the trade, Lamb’s reaction, Pickens’ fit, and what this means for the Cowboys’ 2025 aspirations.
The Cowboys’ offense sputtered in 2024, averaging 20.8 points per game (20th in the NFL), with Prescott missing nine games due to a hamstring avulsion requiring surgery. Lamb, a 2020 first-round pick (No. 17 overall), remained a bright spot, hauling in 101 catches for 1,194 yards and six touchdowns despite missing two games with a shoulder sprain. His 2023 season—135 receptions, 1,749 yards, 12 TDs, and a First-team All-Pro nod—proved he’s among the NFL’s elite, but the lack of a reliable No. 2 receiver forced defenses to key on him, limiting Dallas’ explosiveness. Last year’s trade for Jonathan Mingo (five catches, 46 yards) flopped, and free-agent losses like Brandin Cooks left Jalen Tolbert (33 catches, 411 yards) and KaVontae Turpin (18 catches, 233 yards) as underwhelming options.
Enter Pickens, a 2022 second-round pick (No. 52 overall) who brings big-play flair. In 2023, he led the NFL with 18.1 yards per catch, totaling 63 receptions for 1,140 yards and five TDs. His 2024 season dipped—59 catches, 900 yards, three TDs—but his 15.3 yards per catch and 2.98 yards per route run (per PFF) showed he’s a deep threat. Off-field issues, including two unsportsmanlike conduct flags and a scuffle with Cleveland’s Greg Newsome II, strained his Pittsburgh tenure, especially after the Steelers traded for DK Metcalf in March 2025, signing him to a four-year, $132 million deal. Steelers GM Omar Khan, who’d signaled extension talks with Pickens in February, opted to move him as he enters the final year of his $6.8 million rookie deal, per Spotrac. Dallas, desperate for a vertical threat, pounced, with Jerry Jones’ “substantive trades” hint from April 14 proving prophetic.
Lamb’s Tuesday night GIF, posted hours before the trade broke, sent fans into a frenzy. The waving Ralph Wiggum, a symbol of naive excitement, was interpreted as Lamb signaling Pickens’ arrival. While Lamb hasn’t commented directly, his social media history—subtle posts during his 2024 contract holdout—suggests he’s savvy about dropping hints. The timing aligns with reports that Dallas and Pittsburgh rekindled trade talks post-draft, after earlier discussions for a fourth-round pick stalled, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. The Cowboys’ willingness to part with a 2026 third-rounder—a steal for a 24-year-old with Pickens’ upside—reflects their urgency to bolster Prescott’s weapons.
Pickens, at 6-foot-3 with a 4.47-second 40 and 34¾-inch arms, is a contested-catch maven, hauling in 52.9% of contested targets in 2024 (per PFF). His 14.2 average depth of target (ADOT) and 900 yards on 103 targets last year make him a perfect complement to Lamb, who thrives on quick routes (7.8 ADOT, 101 catches). With Lamb drawing double-teams—opponents bracketed him on 28.6% of routes in 2024, per Next Gen Stats—Pickens can exploit single coverage, stretching defenses vertically. His 2023 highlight reel, including a 71-yard TD against Baltimore, shows what he can do with Prescott’s arm (3,840 yards, 23 TDs in eight games in 2024). Schottenheimer’s up-tempo offense, which ranked eighth in EPA per play in Washington in 2024, should maximize Pickens’ deep shots and Lamb’s YAC (583 yards after catch in 2024).
The trade’s timing is key. Prescott, 31, is back after signing a four-year, $240 million extension in 2024, but his 0-5 playoff record and injury history raise pressure to win now. Dallas’ 2025 draft focused on the offensive line (first-rounder Tyler Booker) and defense, ignoring receivers, which made a veteran trade critical. Pickens, entering a contract year, could be extended in 2026, with Dallas projected to have $84.7 million in cap space, per Over The Cap. His $94 million projected market value (four years, per Spotrac) is steep, but his youth and 2,978 career yards (13 TDs) justify the gamble. The Cowboys’ WR room—Lamb, Pickens, Tolbert, Turpin, and UDFA Traeshon Holden—now rivals top duos like Philly’s A.J. Brown-DeVonta Smith or Miami’s Tyreek Hill-Jaylen Waddle.
Risks remain. Pickens’ maturity issues—late arrivals to practices, locker-room friction, and a near-trade request in April 2025, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler—could clash with Schottenheimer’s emphasis on accountability, seen in his locker-room reshuffle placing Lamb next to Micah Parsons. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin called for Pickens to “grow up” after a Week 13 outburst in 2024, and his one-catch, zero-yard dud against Cincinnati highlighted inconsistency. Dallas’ 17 fumbles (10 lost) and 104 penalties in 2024 demand discipline, and Pickens’ history could disrupt chemistry. Still, Lamb’s veteran presence (fifth in the NFL in receptions since 2020) and Prescott’s leadership (108.7 passer rating on play-action) could anchor him.
The Cowboys’ 7-10 finish in 2024, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2020, exposed a lack of offensive firepower. Their 20.2% pressure rate allowed (10th-worst) and minus-7 turnover differential didn’t help, but the passing game’s reliance on Lamb (29.4% target share) was a bottleneck. Pickens’ arrival, paired with Jake Ferguson’s 65 catches and Rico Dowdle’s 803 rushing yards, gives Prescott a dynamic arsenal. Schottenheimer’s scheme—quick reads, play-action, and deep shots—fits Pickens’ 52.9% contested-catch rate and Lamb’s 7.4 yards after catch. The trade’s cost (a third- and fifth-rounder) is light compared to past WR deals (e.g., Amari Cooper for a fifth in 2018), and Dallas’ plus-10 point differential in 2024 suggests they’re closer to contending than their record shows.
For Cowboys fans, the Pickens trade is a reason to dream big. Lamb’s GIF hints at his excitement, and Pickens’ 1,140-yard ceiling could push Dallas’ offense—20th in EPA per play in 2024—into the top 10. With Micah Parsons’ 14.5 sacks and a defense under Mike Zimmer that forced 17 turnovers last year, the pieces are there. The NFC East is brutal—Philly’s 14-3, Washington’s 10-7—but Dallas’ 12-5 seasons from 2021-23 show their potential. If Pickens matures and Lamb keeps dominating, Prescott could hit 4,500 yards and 30 TDs, a far cry from 2024’s 2,159 in eight games. This trade’s a bold step toward ending a 29-year NFC Championship drought.
