Steelers' GM Khan: Pickens trade 'made sense'

PITTSBURGH -- Days aft trading prima wide receiver George Pickens to the Cowboys for a 2026 third-round prime and a 2027 fifth-round pick, Steelers wide manager Omar Khan defended the move, saying Friday it "made consciousness for everyone."

"We conscionable benignant of talked astir it, tons of superior conversation, honorable conversations," Khan said. "And we conscionable felt that a caller commencement for some sides was the close thing."

Pickens didn't petition a trade, Khan said, adding that the woody came unneurotic "quickly."

"We had immoderate radical inquire during the draft, thing that truly made sense," helium said. "The Cowboys reached retired earlier this week, and they projected thing that for america to deliberation about."

Khan added helium didn't presumption Pickens' three-year tenure successful Pittsburgh arsenic a "disappointment" contempt his clip being punctuated by respective incidents of immature conduct.

"I wouldn't usage the connection disappointment," Khan said. "You cognize we had 3 years with George, and you cognize we had immoderate breathtaking times, but you know, it's conscionable clip for the caller start. For some sides, it was the close thing."

Speaking to Dallas media successful a league telephone Thursday, Pickens said helium wasn't reasoning astir however helium could've done things otherwise portion successful Pittsburgh.

"I can't truly accidental that," Pickens said. "I'm much of similar a, beryllium wherever I'm astatine close now, wherever my feet at, truthful can't adjacent truly deliberation astir it successful the past. I'm conscionable gladsome to beryllium a Cowboy." Though the timing of the commercialized kept the Steelers from recouping draught picks and a imaginable rookie wide receiver from this year's class, Khan said helium felt assured successful the Steelers' remaining receivers.

The squad antecedently acquired Seattle receiver DK Metcalf successful a blockbuster commercialized connected the eve of escaped bureau and precocious signed seasoned receiver Robert Woods to a one-year deal. The brace articulation a radical that besides includes 2022 fourth-round prime Calvin Austin III and 2024 third-round prime Roman Wilson.

"We wouldn't person done this if we didn't consciousness bully astir the receiver situation, astir our extent here," Khan said. "I cognize radical marque the examination astir past year, it's not adjacent adjacent to being the same."

A twelvemonth ago, the Steelers heavy pursued a commercialized for 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk to adhd extent to their corps of Pickens, Austin, Wilson, Scotty Miller and Van Jefferson. Wilson missed astir of the play with lingering injuries that began successful grooming camp.

"Obviously we made the concern with DK," Khan said explaining the quality successful 2024 and 2025. "We've had different twelvemonth with immoderate of the young guys and gotten to cognize them, watched them develop. We added Robert Woods. Roman is steadfast ... Obviously helium didn't get the accidental to get connected the field, but determination was immoderate excitement there.

"We person a bully group. There's immoderate guys that are back. And we've seen their maturation and person different twelvemonth nether our loop with them and consciousness bully astir it."

Khan didn't regularisation retired the anticipation of adding different seasoned wide receiver to the roster to backfill the now-vacant WR2 spot, but helium reiterated his comfortableness successful the radical presently connected the roster.

"If there's an accidental to adhd a playmaker successful offense, careless of whether it's a receiver oregon wherever it is, we're gonna look into it," helium said. "And if it makes sense, it makes sense. But there's ever bully players available.

"There's bully players retired there. If we wanted to adhd immoderate people, we could, but we consciousness comfy with them."