Omar Khan simplifies the George Pickens trade as just “business”

The Pittsburgh Steelers made the decision to trade George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys this week, and some might have thought you could label the decision as difficult. But maybe it wasn’t so difficult. Maybe the emotion was removed from it, and it was just business?

Omar Khan spoke to the media Friday at the Steelers Rookie Minicamp at the UPMC Rooney Southside Complex and answered questions surrounding the decision and process which resulted in the talented wide receiver heading to the NFC East. Was it weeks in the works? Not really with the Cowboys specifically. They had conversations with multiple teams leading up to, and in, the 2025 NFL Draft, but the Steelers never were offered any compensation they felt was worth it.

This week the Cowboys called, and the proposal was at least something worth considering.

“They proposed something for us to think about,” Khan said Friday. “And you know, we had conversations internally. We also had some conversations with George’s agent, Dave (Mulugheta), who I have a good relationship with. And you know, we discussed where things have been with George, where they are and where things could go with George. And you know this trade made sense for everyone.”

While it made sense, it doesn’t make the decision to move on from a talented player like Pickens easy.

“We just kind of talked about it, lots of serious conversation, honest conversations, and we just felt that a fresh start for both sides was the right thing,” Khan said.

So the trade was executed, and now the fall out with many fans is ongoing. The fallout being the fact it feels as if the team is in the same exact situation as they were a year ago. A good WR1, this year it’s DK Metcalf, and a bunch of other receivers, none of which would be considered a WR2 on the depth chart.

Khan said the two years aren’t even close to being comparable, and he really likes what the Steelers have in their current wide receiver room.

“We wouldn’t have done this if we didn’t feel good about the receiver situation, about our depth here,” Khan said. “You know, I know people make a comparison about last year. It’s not even close to being the same.

“Obviously we’ve made an investment with DK. We’ve had another year with some of the young guys and gotten to know them, watch them develop. We added Robert Woods. Roman’s healthy. I’ve seen him the last couple weeks out here and how he’s doing, and we saw how he was progressing at the end of last year. Obviously he didn’t get the chance to get on the field, but there was some excitement there. But we have a good group.”

Ultimately, it wasn’t personal. It was business.

“It just made sense that the fresh start was a good idea, and it was business,” Khan said.

Many fans of the Steelers are wondering what exactly the team is planning to do with their potential 12 draft picks in 2026? What’s the game plan? As you can guess, 2026 is when the team wants to get their next young quarterback, and Khan acknowledged this during the press conference.

“It was important for us to acknowledge the fact that we could be in a position to acquire a young quarterback next year,” Khan said. “You saw things we did in the offseason. That’s obviously something that was on the back of our minds when we made decisions. And we’ll see how it all shakes out.”

It might not seem like it, but the Steelers are still trying to win a championship in 2025.

“We’re chasing a championship, and every decision we make is based on trying to win a championship, not only in the future, but this year,” Khan said. “We’re focused on trying to win a championship this year. I know there’s a lot of questions about different things, but there’s a lot of time between now and the start of the season, and rest assured, we’re trying to win a championship this year.”

If a championship is won, George Pickens won’t be a part of it as he now becomes an afterthought, and footnote, with the Steelers organization.

Be sure to stay tuned to SCN for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they go through the rest of Rookie Minicamp and OTAs.