George Pickens traded to Cowboys: Cam Heyward explains why Steelers could potentially be a ‘better team’ now

When the Pittsburgh Steelers sent wide receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys, some fans wondered why the team would trade such a talented young player in the prime of his career. Veteran defensive tackle Cam Heyward is telling those fans to relax based on the Steelers’ recent history at that position.

Heyward has been a staple on the Steelers’ defense since his rookie year in 2011, and he’s seen his share of gifted wideouts come and go. When Pittsburgh has moved on from those players, it’s generally been the right call.

“I think we gotta look at the track record of trading wide receivers,” Heyward said on his “Not Just Football” podcast. “There’s been some good history behind this.”

Since 2018, the Steelers have traded away Martavis Bryant, Antonio Brown, Chase Claypool, Diontae Johnson and Pickens. While the rest of Pickens’ story has yet to be written, the other receivers on that list have struggled to find individual success elsewhere.

“For the most part, they know when to sign and when to trade,” Heyward said. “We’ll see what happens. We could be a better team because of it.”

Although the Steelers’ MO has typically been to trade away veteran receivers in favor of younger players, they did land star wideout DK Metcalf in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks earlier this offseason.

Heyward said he would have loved to see Metcalf and Pickens on the field together, but noted the team could have another move in the works. He also said that there are other players on the offense who could take on bigger roles in 2025.

“Would I have liked to see George and DK play together?” Heyward said. “Yeah, but hopefully there’s something in the works. I’m not gonna go out and start making these extravagant thoughts of, ‘Oh, we’re gonna trade for this.’

“I think you have to look at the players we do have around. We have Calvin Austin, and I think he’s gonna take a step forward. I think the ball should be going through Pat (Freiermuth) a little more. Then also, you’re looking for a guy like Roman Wilson to take a big step.”