The trade of George Pickens has aged weirdly for Pittsburgh, with the receiver down in Dallas carving it up with the Cowboys. However, it begs one big question: Why would the Steelers willingly give up on a young star performing at a Pro Bowl level? The Steelers insider finally opened up on this, and it’s a far nastier reality than fans expected.

“He was disruptive in the locker room. Late for meetings, late for games. I was told that the teammates were fed up with it,” Steelers reporter Gerry Dulac said on The Rich Eisen Show.

According to him, the Steelers let go of Pickens despite his elite performance because of the frustrations in the locker room. He further added that the issues for Pickens weren’t improving and would have eventually caused even more friction, possibly even in Dallas.

“It’s only going to be a matter of time, probably before the same happens in Dallas if it hasn’t already,” he said.

Dulac then provided a very particular example to show a major internal breaking point. He referred to a situation this season when a sideline reporter was informed that Pickens would play limited snaps, which was wrong.

Dulac further explained why it happened: ”The reason why that misinformation was transmitted to is because that’s what Mike Tomlin knew without talking to George Pickens because he didn’t show up on time.”

When Pickens finally arrived late to the stadium, the team whisked him away by ambulance with a police escort to get an MRI/X-ray and then promptly ruled him out upon return. That particular situation, according to Dulac, best reflected the chronic reliability concerns the Steelers were having with Pickens.

Eisen added to this by asking him about the opening series of the game, when Pickens sat out. To which, Dulac immediately filled in the inference that the reason had fit the pattern.

“I didn’t hear why he sat down the opening series. But I’m sure it was probably for some no-no, which I’m sure knowing George is probably occurring in Dallas,” he said.

The comments highlighted how Pickens’ absences and delays were starting to feel expected and disruptive. Pittsburgh decided the situation was untenable, even as his on-field brilliance soared. Hence, they acquired DK Metcalf via a Seahawks trade.

Ironically enough, Pickens’ production in Dallas is exactly what many anticipated. Through 10 games, he leads the Cowboys with 908 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. Hence, the team is looking to extend its wide receivers’ tenure.

Brian Schottenheimer’s take on George Pickens

One of the bigger discussions in Dallas at the moment is whether the Cowboys will extend Pickens, who is in the final year of the rookie deal he originally signed with Pittsburgh. Per reports, Brian Schottenheimer did not want the wide receiver to go.

When asked about Pickens’ future status, the head coach said, “Sign me up. I’m very in favor of George having a long-term future with us in Dallas.”

The coach emphasized how seamlessly Pickens has fit into the offense and how much he elevates the Cowboys’ passing game. He additionally pointed out one aspect in particular.

”I love the firepower that they (Pickens and CeeDee Lamb) give us. … I pinch myself at times [calling plays],” he said, praising how the pair feed off each other’s competitiveness and skill sets.

However, the recent update says otherwise when both Pickens and Lamb were benched because of a disciplinary issue. As per the HC, he “made a coach’s decision (because) there were some things that were missed” as they violated the curfew while out in Las Vegas.

Nevertheless, the duo is still Schottenheimer’s favorite. Known jokingly as “Mario and Luigi,” Lamb and Pickens have quickly become one of the most dangerous combos in the league. Lamb has already voiced support for Pickens getting a long-term contract, and with the coaching staff aligned, Dallas appears motivated to keep the tandem intact.

Whether the Cowboys extend him will be up to Jerry Jones and the front office, but with Pickens producing at an elite level, and with Schottenheimer publicly campaigning for the momentum strongly favors Dallas locking him in.

And if Dulac’s account is correct, the Steelers knew Pickens would flourish elsewhere; they simply decided they could no longer tolerate what was happening behind the scenes.