On May 7, the Steelers pulled the trigger, sending George Pickens and a 2027 sixth-rounder to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a 2026 third and a 2027 fifth. Pittsburgh tried to spin it as a fresh start. GM Omar Khan said, “The trade sort of happened quickly… A fresh start made sense for everyone.” The reason? His sideline tantrums and a locker room presence that leaned more diva than discipline? All of it stacked up. So, it was not surprising when Mike Tomlin backed Khan’s comment, saying, “I’m not going to add any color to it other than what Omar told you guys.”

Khan may have said that Pickens’ move was a quick decision, but what actually broke the camel’s back may have come in Week 5 of the 2024 season. Facing the Cowboys, Pickens yanked cornerback Jourdan Lewis by the facemask in an unsportsmanlike outburst. HC Tomlin didn’t sugarcoat it post game: “He’s got a target on his back because he’s George… But he’s got to grow up. He’s got to grow up in a hurry.” With the trade, the Steelers were finally saying goodbye to his drama. But Pickens? He didn’t sail away silently.

The former Steelers’ wide receiver exposed their mess and made it hurt. “They the cheapest organization,” the 24-year-old wrote in a since-deleted viral Instagram comment. And now, by undercutting Tomlin’s internal authority and denying the team’s version of events, he’s poured more gasoline on the franchise’s public perception fire.

This week, Pickens went on the offensive, publicly denying the long-circulating narrative that it was head coach Mike Tomlin who drove the decision to trade him. After reports painted Tomlin as the final voice behind the deal, Pickens took to X to rewrite the story. The whole drama started when Brandon James Wallace posted on X: “Alright… I get it… 😔 George Pickens’ Timeline of Trouble.” Pickens replied, “Lmaooo. I play for Cowboys bro stop reminiscing. And trying to justify the trade 😂😂 y’all just lost another good player to fake reports.”

But the fans? They didn’t buy it. One commented, “Nah big dog, you was definitely a problem. They wouldn’t of moved on from you for next to nothing if that wasn’t the case.” Pickens shut it down: “I forced buddy. They were gladly keeping me 😁😁😁😁 have a nice day and a blessed one my guy.”Boom. Suddenly, the story of the ‘Tomlin decision’ was smacked squarely in the face.

But why such an outburst after being traded? Because WRs being traded to another team is a story that the Steelers are all too familiar with. George Pickens joins Chase Claypool, Diontae Johnson, Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, and Sammie Coates as the sixth wide receiver under Mike Tomlin to be traded. Every departure had its own unique drama. The Steelers claim that winning championships is the primary consideration in all of their decisions.

While fans were still scrubbing Pickens’ X replies for clues, someone finally stepped in to break the noise. And ironically, it was the guy who usually avoids drama—Russell Wilson.

Russell Wilson breaks the silence on George Pickens

The former Steelers QB, now wearing Giants blue, popped up this week on Carmelo Anthony’s ‘7PM in Brooklyn’ podcast. And instead of piling on like the rest of Steeler Nation, Wilson did something unexpected: he defended George Pickens. “I love George,” Wilson said plainly. “His ability to catch the football is one of a kind. Anything in his vicinity, he’s [going to] catch it.”

That wasn’t empty quarterback-speak either. Wilson doubled down, pivoting from highlight praise to personal character. “On a serious note, he’s misunderstood. He wants to be great, you know? I think, also, too, his ability—where he can take it from not just being great to being one of the world’s best—I think he has that in him.”

Let’s pause right there. That’s not what you expect to hear after a player’s public beef with a franchise just detonated all over social media. Pickens had all but lit the bridge back to Pittsburgh on fire—and here was Wilson, trying to repaint the ashes.

The keyword he used? Misunderstood. Whether you buy that or not depends on your lens. But if you were in that Steelers locker room last season, you saw it boiling under the surface. Pickens would go entire games without a meaningful target, then explode—verbally or on Instagram. And even though his production was rarely in question, the tone around him always was. Teammates had to answer for him. Coaches had to cover for him. The noise never died. But maybe this fresh start gives him an opportunity to rewrite his story.