PITTSBURGH — Days after trading star wide receiver George Pickens to the Cowboys for a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick, Steelers general manager Omar Khan defended the move, saying Friday that it “made sense for everyone.”
“We just kind of talked about it, lots of serious conversation, honest conversations,” Khan said. “And we just felt that a fresh start for both sides was the right thing.”
Pickens didn’t request a trade, Khan said, adding that the deal came together “quickly.”
“We had some people inquire during the draft, nothing that really made sense,” he said. “The Cowboys reached out earlier this week, and they proposed something for us to think about.”
Khan added that he didn’t view Pickens’ three-year tenure in Pittsburgh as a “disappointment” despite Pickens’ time being punctuated by several incidents of immature conduct.
“I wouldn’t use the word ‘disappointment,'” Khan said. “You know we had three years with George, and you know we had some exciting times, but you know, it’s just time for the fresh start. For both sides, it was the right thing.”
Speaking to Dallas media in a conference call Thursday, Pickens said he wasn’t thinking about how he could have done things differently while in Pittsburgh.
“I can’t really say that,” Pickens said. “I’m more of like a, be where I’m at right now, where my feet at, so can’t even really think about it in the past. I’m just glad to be a Cowboy.” Though the timing of the trade kept the Steelers from recouping draft picks and a potential rookie wide receiver from this year’s class, Khan said he felt confident in the Steelers’ remaining receivers.
The team previously acquired Seattle receiver DK Metcalf in a blockbuster trade on the eve of free agency and recently signed veteran receiver Robert Woods to a one-year deal. The pair join a group that also includes 2022 fourth-round pick Calvin Austin III and 2024 third-round pick Roman Wilson.
“We wouldn’t have done this if we didn’t feel good about the receiver situation, about our depth here,” Khan said. “I know people make the comparison about last year; it’s not even close to being the same.”
A year ago, the Steelers heavily pursued a trade for 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk to add depth to their corps of Pickens, Austin, Wilson, Scotty Miller and Van Jefferson. Wilson missed most of the season with lingering injuries that began in training camp.
“Obviously, we made the investment with DK,” Khan said, explaining the difference in 2024 and 2025. “We’ve had another year with some of the young guys and gotten to know them, watched them develop. We added Robert Woods. Roman is healthy. … Obviously, he didn’t get the chance to get on the field, but there was some excitement there.
“We have a good group. There’s some guys that are back. And we’ve seen their growth and have another year under our belt with them and feel good about it.”
Khan didn’t rule out the possibility of adding another veteran wide receiver to the roster to backfill the now-vacant WR2 spot, but he reiterated his comfort in the group currently on the roster.
“If there’s an opportunity to add a playmaker in offense, regardless of whether it’s a receiver or wherever it is, we’re going to look into it,” he said. “And if it makes sense, it makes sense. But there’s always good players available.
“There’s good players out there. If we wanted to add some people, we could, but we feel comfortable with them.”