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Brooke Pryor
PITTSBURGH — Days after buying and selling star vast receiver George Pickens to the Cowboys for a 2026 third-round choose and a 2027 fifth-round choose, Steelers normal supervisor Omar Khan defended the transfer, saying Friday that it “made sense for everybody.”
“We simply form of talked about it, plenty of critical dialog, trustworthy conversations,” Khan mentioned. “And we simply felt {that a} recent begin for each side was the best factor.”
Pickens did not request a commerce, Khan mentioned, including that the deal got here collectively “rapidly.”
“We had some individuals inquire throughout the draft, nothing that basically made sense,” he mentioned. “The Cowboys reached out earlier this week, they usually proposed one thing for us to consider.”
Khan added that he did not view Pickens’ three-year tenure in Pittsburgh as a “disappointment” regardless of Pickens’ time being punctuated by a number of incidents of immature conduct.
“I would not use the phrase ‘disappointment,'” Khan mentioned. “You realize we had three years with George, and you recognize we had some thrilling occasions, however you recognize, it is simply time for the recent begin. For each side, it was the best factor.”
Chatting with Dallas media in a convention name Thursday, Pickens mentioned he wasn’t fascinated about how he might have carried out issues in a different way whereas in Pittsburgh.
“I can not actually say that,” Pickens mentioned. “I am extra of like a, be the place I am at proper now, the place my ft at, so cannot even actually give it some thought prior to now. I am simply glad to be a Cowboy.” Although the timing of the commerce stored the Steelers from recouping draft picks and a possible rookie vast receiver from this yr’s class, Khan mentioned he felt assured within the Steelers’ remaining receivers.
The group beforehand acquired Seattle receiver DK Metcalf in a blockbuster commerce on the eve of free company and lately signed veteran receiver Robert Woods to a one-year deal. The pair be part of a bunch that additionally contains 2022 fourth-round choose Calvin Austin III and 2024 third-round choose Roman Wilson.
“We would not have carried out this if we did not be ok with the receiver state of affairs, about our depth right here,” Khan mentioned. “I do know individuals make the comparability about final yr; it is not even near being the identical.”
A yr in the past, the Steelers closely pursued a commerce for 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk so as to add depth to their corps of Pickens, Austin, Wilson, Scotty Miller and Van Jefferson. Wilson missed many of the season with lingering accidents that started in coaching camp.
“Clearly, we made the funding with DK,” Khan mentioned, explaining the distinction in 2024 and 2025. “We have had one other yr with a number of the younger guys and gotten to know them, watched them develop. We added Robert Woods. Roman is wholesome. … Clearly, he did not get the prospect to get on the sector, however there was some pleasure there.
“We’ve got a superb group. There’s some guys which can be again. And we have seen their progress and have one other yr underneath our belt with them and be ok with it.”
Khan did not rule out the potential for including one other veteran vast receiver to the roster to backfill the now-vacant WR2 spot, however he reiterated his consolation within the group at present on the roster.
“If there’s a chance so as to add a playmaker in offense, no matter whether or not it is a receiver or wherever it’s, we will look into it,” he mentioned. “And if it is smart, it is smart. However there’s all the time good gamers obtainable.
“There’s good gamers on the market. If we needed so as to add some individuals, we might, however we really feel snug with them.”
