George Pickens trade: Stephen A Smith reacts with epic Dallas Cowboys rant

Wednesday morning brought the news of a trade involving George Pickens. He will spend at least the 2025 season with the Dallas Cowboys, coming via the Pittsburgh Steelers. A massive move for the Cowboys, hoping they just acquired a second wide receiver to play alongside CeeDee Lamb.

Reactions to the trade have poured in across sports media. Stephen A Smith may have had the best of them all, going on a Cowboys-infused rant about Pickens joining the team. Smith had multiple questions about how this will help the offense, especially since he does not believe much in the running game, and putting the ball into Dak Prescott‘s hands a lot more often.

“So, this dude is supposed to be a headache,” Smith said. “You got a new coach that nobody wanted, that you elevated in Brian Schottenheimer. That’s what you got, right? You got him, right? You got Dak Prescott, who’s allergic to prosperity come playoff time, right? So we know that’s going on, right? And you don’t have, really, much of a running game, because Rico Dowdle, you didn’t even try to hold onto him. You went and got this brother, (Javonte) Williams from Denver, right? Because he was half the price. I mean, instead of 6 million, he’s gonna to play 3 million.

“I mean, just stop the presses. What a big move for our running game, right? Which basically means you’re going to be passing the ball all day long. And the more you pass, the more it sets the stage for Dak Prescott to make a mistake when it matters most. Congratulations to the Cowboys. I’m sure it looks good on paper, as it always does.”

Making these kinds of headlines is nothing new for the Cowboys. Seemingly any transaction can bring national media attention to them, let alone trading for a player as polarizing as Pickens. The next few days, weeks, and even months will be spent breaking down how Pickens fits in Dallas.

Smith believes this move is a “set up” for what will come in the future. The Cowboys become a massive talking point in the offseason before, what Smith describes as, a “plummet” occurs around Christmas in the regular season.

“They gave it to me on a silver platter,” Smith said. “I’m here, minding my business. It’s the NBA Playoffs, man. That’s where my mind is. And they go and they do something like this. I’m minding my business. I wasn’t thinking about the Cowboys, but this is what they want. They got to steal the headlines. They stole the headlines during Super Bowl week. They’re going to try to steal — now they’re stealing it during the NBA Playoffs. Fine, it’s all yours.

“They’re going to make headlines and you’re gonna see Dallas Cowboys fans everywhere, ‘Pickens, with CeeDee Lamb, and Dak is back healthy. You know, we’re going to the Super Bowl next year, right? You know we’re gonna win the Super Bowl next year, right?’ It’s beautiful. It’s beautiful. It’s just set up, right? At least they’re not going to stink in September. They’re going to go back to teasing us into believing that they’re relevant, right up until around Christmas time or so, a little bit after, and then after that, they plummet. Wait for it, just be patient. It’s coming.”

Smith predicts the Cowboys are “not going to stink in September,” and soon, they will know who their opponents are. The NFL will release the 2025 schedule on Wednesday, May 7. While opponents have been known for quite some time, the exact order brings some intrigue.

Pickens will be there in Dallas, hoping to make a massive impact ahead of hitting free agency. Smith just does not appear to be a big fan of the trade.