Former NFL wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh believes that George Pickens’ antics with the Pittsburgh Steelers were enough for them to move on from him. Houshmandzadeh says he knows people who play on the team, and he would consistently be late for events, including the team’s plane and bus departures.

Pickens is the most recent of a common trend in Pittsburgh where the organization parts ways with young receivers at the end of their rookie deals rather than extending their contracts.

The team traded George Pickens and a 2027 sixth-round pick to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick. This gives the Cowboys someone to put next to CeeDee Lamb, and gives the Steelers more draft capital for the future.