Aaron Rodgers speculation gains momentum after Pittsburgh Steelers trade George Pickens to Dallas Cowboys

Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday made a surprise move as the NFL side traded wide receiver George Pickens in exchange for the draft pick compensation with the Dallas Cowboys. This comes at a time when the Steelers have been looking forward to adding quarterback Aaron Rodgers to its roster.

The latest trade will end with Cowboys having Pickens on board along with the sixth-round pick in 2027. On the other hand, the Steelers get a third-round pick next year and fifth-round pick for the one after that, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.

Pittsburgh Steelers hunts for new wide receiver

With Pickens being in the final year of his rookie deal, many were expecting that the 24-year-old could be traded by the side, especially after his volatile behaviour in recent times.

Pickens, who had 59 catches for 900 yards, accompanied by 3 touchdowns in the last NFL season, was flagged two times for his unprofessional conduct during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Prior to that, he was even found involved in a scuffle with Greg Newsome II of Cleveland Browns.

Due to such situations, it seemed tough for the Steelers to maintain its trust on the player and get him in for a long-term extension, according to The Sporting News.

With Pickens now set to join the Cowboys, this ultimately means that Pittsburgh is in need of a wide receiver again.

Does Steelers' trade surprise Aaron Rodgers?

It remains to be seen whether the latest trade by the Pittsburgh Steelers comes as a major surprise for Aaron Rodgers, who has reportedly been negotiating for a deal with the club for a long time. Also, NFL fans will have to wait and watch whether the move might hurt the side's pursuit of Rodgers.

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network has claimed that it was unlikely that Rodgers might have been surprised by the recent move. He has even pointed out how Rodgers was not working out with Pickens and rather opted for DK Metcalf, the wide receiver who joined the side on a five-year, $150 million contract earlier this year.

Rapoport said that rumours about trading Pickens had been going on for "weeks," while "potential" Quarterback for the side (Rodgers) had been "throwing with DK Metcalf, (and) not Pickens".


Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports recently suggested that Rodgers can be added to the Stellers' side in "the coming weeks or months".

He added that the moves being made by the side "screams" that Rodgers might be close enough to sign a deal.

FAQs:

1. What is the deal between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys?
The Cowboys informed on X that the club has agreed to acquire George Pickens along with the sixth-round-pick next year from the Steelers. This is done in exchange for a third-round pick in 2026 and fifth-round pick in 2027 for the Steelers.

2. Which clubs has Aaron Rodgers represented?
He has been a part of the Green Bay Packers and New York Jets.