Reports broke early Wednesday morning that the Dallas Cowboys were acquiring wide receiver George Pickens from the Pittsburgh Steelers. While everyone wakes up to the news, the question to raise while the dust settles is: why?

The Dallas Cowboys needed a wide receiver opposite side of CeeDee Lamb. Many wondered who that could be. Would the Cowboys draft a receiver like Tetairora McMillan from Arizona or Matthew Golden from Texas? McMillan was off the board before the Cowboys could pick at 12, and the Cowboys opted to draft guard Tyler Booker instead of Golden in the first round.

We then began speculating if the Dallas Cowboys could sign a veteran wide receiver, a potential reunion with Amari Cooper. While Cooper remains unsigned and this is a possibility, it’s less likely after the Cowboys acquired Pickens from the Steelers.

Why did the Dallas Cowboys acquire George Pickens from the Pittsburgh Steelers?

THEY NEEDED SOMEONE

The Cowboys were desperate to pair someone with CeeDee Lamb. Looking at the receiver room, the Cowboys are banking on a receiver to emerge out of nowhere to be a star. Jalen Tolbert was the team’s second-best receiver in 2024, and it wasn’t good enough. The depth chart left in Dallas doesn’t have a strong track record either.

2024 Statistics for 2025 Dallas Cowboys receivers:

• Jalen Tolbert: 49 catches on 79 targets, 610 yards, 7 touchdowns
• KaVontae Turpin: 31 catches on 52 targets, 420 yards, 2 touchdowns
• Jalen Brooks: 12 catches on 30 targets, 177 yards, 1 touchdown
• Ryan Flournoy: 10 catches on 14 targets, 102 yards
• Jonathan Mingo: 5 catches on 16 targets, 46 yards

In total, the five receivers combined for 107 catches on 191 targets, 1,355 receiving yards, and 10 touchdowns.

Compare that to the top of the Cowboys’ 2025 depth chart, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.

• CeeDee Lamb: 101 catches on 151 targets, 1,194 yards, 6 touchdowns (15 games)
• George Pickens: 59 catches on 103 targets, 900 yards, 3 touchdowns (14 games)

Pickens was the #1 option in Pittsburgh with quarterback instability. Is Justin Fields or Russell Wilson at this stage in their careers on the same level as Dak Prescott, who was an MVP candidate in 2023? The potential for a 24-year-old Pickens, as a #2 option, with an established franchise quarterback, is exciting if this pans out. But overall, the Cowboys needed someone to bump Tolbert and Turpin down the depth chart and give the Cowboys talent at wide receiver.

A YOUNG ONE-YEAR RENTAL

George Pickens was a 2nd-round pick from Georgia in 2022 and is entering the final year of his rookie deal. With there being concerns about Pickens’ character and on-field antics, Pickens might be in a trial run for Dallas. If Pickens isn’t a culture fit, the Cowboys are not tied down to George Pickens beyond this year. Consider this the “dating stage” of a new relationship.

Pickens has a lot of upside to his game. The Cowboys covet high-round draft picks who don’t fully pan out on other teams, hence why they traded a 4th-round pick for Jonathan Mingo last October. If the Cowboys bank successfully on the potential, George Pickens could have a great year and stay with the team long-term or land a bigger deal in next year’s free agency.

If George Pickens isn’t a Cowboy beyond 2025, the Cowboys have options in the 2026 NFL Draft. High-end prospects like Ohio State’s Carnell Tate, Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson, South Carolina’s Nyck Harbor, and Texas A&M’s Kevin Concepcion could all hear their names called in Rounds 1 and 2.

It’s risky trading away a third-round pick for a one-year rental, but the Cowboys would likely prioritize a receiver in the first two rounds if the need is there again after taking a chance on Pickens.

There’s a risk involved with this move by the Dallas Cowboys. They have invested a 3rd-round pick, and there are character concerns with George Pickens, particularly surrounding his on-field antics and locker room etiquette that could haunt the Cowboys’ locker room with first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer. This isn’t a move made without winning in mind, which leads to my third point.

THE COWBOYS ARE “BUYING IN” ON WINNING

Jerry Jones made the “all in” comments in the 2024 offseason and did nothing to resemble that sentiment. The majority of the scrutiny the Cowboys have faced has been due to a lackadaisical effort in assembling a winning team. The Cowboys watched their rivals, the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles, in the NFC Championship Game, a moment that has eluded Dallas for 30 years. The Commanders and Eagles are making moves to go “all in,” and now the Cowboys have finally made a move to go “all in.”

To go “all in” is risky. But you don’t trade a third-round pick for a high-maintenance player if you don’t think that player could help your team win football games. That’s exactly what the Cowboys hope George Pickens can do for them.

That’s why Dallas made this trade for George Pickens.

For more on the George Pickens deal, you can read this report by Steel Curtain Network’s Jeff Hartman.