Agent’s Take: The Steelers wide receiver curse is real; can George Pickens change the narrative with Cowboys?

Statistically, George Pickens fits the profile of a player a team should want to sign long term before the expiration of his rookie contract. He has averaged 58 receptions, 947 yards receiving and four touchdowns during his three NFL seasons. Pickens led the NFL with 18.1 yards per catch in 2023 when he had his only 1,000-yard receiving season (1,140).

The Pittsburgh Steelers opted to trade the equivalent of a second-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks for wide receiver DK Metcalf in March. Metcalf received a four-year contract extension, averaging nearly $33 million per year, in connection with the trade where $60 million was fully guaranteed at signing.

The Steelers had reservations about Pickens because of his attitude and immaturity. Pickens and a 2027 sixth-round pick were dealt to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick in May.

The grass hasn’t always been greener on the other side when wide receivers leave Pittsburgh. Multiple wide receivers have had their careers take a downward spiral after playing for the Steelers. 

The big exception to this Pittsburgh wide receiver curse is Emmanuel Sanders. The best seasons of Sanders’ NFL career came after he left the Steelers in 2014 free agency for the Denver Broncos. Sanders had career highs of 101 receptions, 1,404 yards receiving and nine touchdowns in 2014. It was the first of three straight seasons where Sanders had at least 75 receptions and 1,000 yards receiving.

Pickens seems to be embracing his change of scenery. “It was good for me,” Pickens recently told NFL Media’s Jane Slater. “Just strictly because, you know, when you’re somewhere long and you build a certain record, a certain label — whether that’s good, great, or bad — you just want a fresh start. That’s how I feel like it is with a lot of people in life.”

Ideally, CeeDee Lamb and Pickens will form the best wide receiver duo the Cowboys have had since the 2020 and 2021 seasons when Lamb was paired with Amari Cooper. If all goes well and Pickens is on his best behavior, he could be in line for a multiyear contract with Dallas or in free agency in excess of $25 million per year. An inability by Pickens to learn from his Pittsburgh experience could mean a one-year “prove-it” deal in 2026.

Here’s a look at the wide receivers since the 2011 lockout ended who haven’t thrived after leaving the Steelers.

Both Brown and the Steelers were ready to move on after the 2018 season. Brown was angling for more money and had a deteriorating relationship with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers were tiring of Brown’s antics. Skipping meetings and practices prior to a must-win regular-season finale with playoff implications led to coach Mike Tomlin benching Brown. 

After killing a trade to the Buffalo Bills, Brown was dealt to the Oakland (now Las Vegas) Raiders in March 2019 for 2019 third- and fifth-round picks. The trade compensation was surprisingly low for a player of Brown’s caliber. Brown earned first-team All-Pro honors for four straight years (2014 through 2017) and had six consecutive seasons with at least 100 receptions and 1,000 yards receiving. During this span, Brown averaged (rounded to the nearest whole number) 114 receptions, 1,524 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns. He led in the NFL in receptions twice (2014 and 2015), receiving yards twice (2014 and 2017) and touchdown catches once (2018). 

As part of the trade, Brown got an upgraded contract. He received an $11.2 million raise over the three remaining years of the four-year, $68 million extension he signed with the Steelers in 2017. He was scheduled to make $50.125 million over the three years with the potential of an additional $4 million through incentives for maximum of $54.125 million. The adjusted contract had $30.125 million fully guaranteed.

The honeymoon between Brown and the Raiders didn’t last long. Brown left training camp for several days because of an inability to wear an outdated helmet no longer approved for NFL use and to continue recovering from a cryotherapy chamber mishap before training camp opened that damaged his feet, although he was cleared for practice. The final straw was a verbal altercation with then-Raiders general manager Mike Mayock a couple of days before the regular-season opener. The Raiders voided the remaining $29.125 million of salary guarantees in Brown’s contract and promptly released him.

Hours after being released by the Raiders, Brown signed one-year, $10.5 million deal worth up to $15 million through incentives with the New England Patriots. Brown quickly wore out his welcome. He was released two games into his Patriots tenure because of multiple sexual misconduct allegations and disparaging remarks on X (formerly Twitter) about Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Brown to an incentive-laden, one-year deal worth up to $2.5 million during the middle of the 2020 season after he served an eight-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. Brown returned to the Buccaneers on a one-year, $4 million deal worth a maximum of $6.25 million with incentives in 2021. The 2010 All-Decade team member’s NFL career came to an abrupt end late in the 2021 season when he walked out during the middle of a Week 17 game versus the New York Jets, removing his uniform and shoulder pads before leaving the field.

Brown’s justification was the Buccaneers were pressuring him to play through an ankle injury and freezing him out of the offense to prevent him from earning his incentives. During the 2020 regular-season finale, quarterback Tom Brady made sure Antonio Brown had his most productive game since joining the Buccaneers to earn some of his incentive money.

How Cowboys could use ‘excited’ CeeDee Lamb, schematically freed George Pickens vs. Eagles in Week 1

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Johnson bounced around during the 2024 season. The Steelers traded Johnson and a 2024 seventh-round pick to the Carolina Panthers for cornerback Donte Jackson and a 2024 sixth-round pick after a drama-filled 2023 season. 

Johnson, who voiced his frustration with being on an uncompetitive one-win Panthers team, was dealt along with a 2025 sixth-round pick to the Baltimore Ravens for a 2025 fifth-round pick eight games into the 2024 season. He was Carolina’s leading pass catcher at the time with 30 receptions for 357 yards with three touchdowns in the seven games he played with the Panthers. 

Johnson had a shorter stint in Baltimore. He was suspended one game for conduct detrimental to the team after refusing to play in a Week 13 contest against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Ravens excused him from team activities in Week 15 before releasing him several days later. Johnson had one catch for 6 yards in four games with the Ravens. 

The Houston Texans claimed Johnson off waivers after wide receiver Tank Dell’s Week 16 season-ending knee injury. Johnson quickly wore out his welcome in Houston. Reportedly causing a scene after receiving limited playing time in the Texans’ wild card playoff game win over the Los Angeles Chargers prompted Johnson’s release. Although Johnson had an expiring contract, the Ravens claimed him off waivers since he was going to factor into the 2026 compensatory draft pick formula as a departing free agent.

Had Johnson handled the 2024 season in a more professional manner rather than burning multiple bridges, he may have been in line for a deal in the same neighborhood as his expiring two-year, $36.71 million contract extension, averaging $18.355 million per year, signed during the 2022 preseason. Career bests of 107 catches for 1,161 yards with eight touchdowns in 2021 led to the extension.

Instead, Johnson languished on the open market until early May when the Cleveland Browns signed him to a one-year deal at his $1.17 million league-minimum salary. The Browns released Johnson in the Aug. 26 roster cutdown to 53 players and he’s currently unemployed.

Team MVP honors were achieved in a 2018 season of 111 catches for 1,426 yards with seven touchdowns while Brown was the focal point of opposing defenses. Once Smith-Schuster’s rookie contract expired following 97 receptions for a pedestrian 8.6 yards per catch in 2020, he returned to the Steelers on a one-year “prove-it” deal worth $8 million because of tepid interest during free agency. He was reportedly looking for more than $15 million per year on the open market. 

Smith-Schuster wasn’t proving very much when a left shoulder injury sidelined him for the 2021 regular season after five games. He had 15 receptions for 129 yards without any touchdowns in those games.

There was less interest in Smith-Schuster during 2022 free agency than in 2021. He signed a one-year, $3.76 million contract with the Chiefs worth up to $11.26 million through incentives. Smith had his best season since leaving the Steelers in 2022 when caught 78 passes for 933 yards with three touchdowns in 16 games as the Chiefs won Super Bowl LVII. 

A big payday in free agency once again eluded Smith-Schuster. He signed a three-year, $25.5 million deal worth up to $33 million through incentives with the Patriots as an unrestricted free agent in March 2023. Only 29 catches for 260 yards with one touchdown in 2023 led to Smith-Schuster’s release from the Patriots during training camp last year. 

Since Smith-Schuster’s $7 million 2024 base salary was fully guaranteed when he signed with the Patriots, he took a one-year deal at his $1.21 million league minimum salary to return to Kansas City. He had a much smaller role in his second stint with the Chiefs. Smith-Schuster had 18 receptions, 231 yards receiving and two touchdowns. He is back with the Chiefs on another one-year deal for $1,422,500 this time around.

Claypool earned All-Rookie honors in 2020 after career bests of 62 receptions, 873 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns (nine receiving and two rushing). The Steelers felt comfortable dealing Claypool to the Chicago Bears at the 2022 trade deadline for a 2023 second-round pick (32nd overall) because of Johnson’s extension and Pickens quickly emerging as a rookie. 

Claypool was a major disappointment with the Bears before he was traded along with a 2025 seventh-round pick to the Miami Dolphins for a 2025 sixth-round pick early in the 2023 season. There were issues with Claypool’s effort and attitude while in Chicago. In the 10 games Claypool played for the Bears, he caught 18 passes for 191 yards with one touchdown. His nine games with the Dolphins were less productive. He had four catches for 26 yards. Claypool signed a one-year, $1.225 million deal with the Bills in 2024 after his rookie contract expired. He was released during the preseason and hasn’t signed another NFL contract.

Bryant showed promise as a big-play threat during his first two NFL seasons before his yearlong suspension in 2016 for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. He averaged 17.3 yards per catch on 76 receptions prior to the suspension. Unhappy with his role in Pittsburgh’s offense, Bryant requested a trade during the 2017 season. He had 50 catches for 803 yards with three touchdowns in 2017.

Bryant got his wish in 2018. He was dealt to the Raiders for a 2018 third-round pick. Facing another suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, the Raiders released Bryant a few days before the start of the regular season. Bryant was subsequently re-signed and allowed to play while his appeal of the suspension was pending. He had 19 catches for 266 yards in eight games when he was suspended indefinitely with three games left in the season.

Bryant wasn’t reinstated by commissioner Roger Goodell until the middle of the 2023 season. He was quickly signed by the Cowboys to the practice squad for the remainder of the season. Bryant signed a one-year contract with the Cowboys for his $1.125 million league-minimum salary after the season. The Cowboys released Bryant in May 2024. The Washington Commanders signed Bryant during the 2024 preseason for league-minimum salary and released him at the roster cutdown.

Wallace earned the only Pro Bowl berth of his career in 2011 thanks to 72 receptions for 1,193 yards with eight touchdowns. It was Wallace’s second straight 1,000-yard receiving season. He had 60 receptions a career-high 1,257 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns in 2010. His career-best 21.0 yards per catch were second in the NFL. As a rookie, Wallace led the league with 19.4 yards per catch in 2009.

A contract dispute as a restricted free agent in 2012 was the beginning of the end for Wallace in Pittsburgh. Once there was a contract impasse with Wallace where he rejected a five-year, $50 million deal, the Steelers gave Brown a five-year, $41.96 million extension instead. Wallace didn’t sign his $2.742 million RFA tender until the end of August.

Wallace cashed in during 2013 free agency. He signed a five-year, $60 million contract with the Dolphins. There were $30 million of guarantees where $27 million was fully guaranteed at signing. The deal made Wallace the NFL’s fourth-highest-paid wide receiver at $12 million per year.

Wallace never lived up to his contract. The Dolphins traded Wallace (and a 2015 seventh-round pick) after two seasons to the Minnesota Vikings for a 2015 fifth-round pick in March 2015. His best marks with the Dolphins were in 2013 when he had 73 catches for 930 yards and five touchdowns. The Vikings released Wallace in March 2016. He had 39 catches and 473 yards during his only season in Minnesota. 

Wallace’s most productive season after leaving the Steelers was in 2016 when he had 72 receptions, 1,017 yards receiving and four touchdowns with the Ravens. His final NFL season was in 2018 with the Eagles where he was limited to two games because of a broken right fibula.