Days after Pittsburgh traded the mercurial wide receiver to the Cowboys, Steelers beat reporter Mark Kaboly alleged Monday that “significant locker room guys got fed up with Pickens’ antics” and feared toxicity could spread.

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.

The timing of the George Pickens trade was very peculiar, coming just weeks after the 2025 NFL Draft. Typically, teams