Jerry Jones is the gift that keeps on giving—especially for New York Giants fans. He’s almost like the Eighth Wonder of the World. There is no method to his madness. It’s just madness... and it’s also only madness.
During last season’s trade deadline, Jones looked to solidify his WR2 position alongside CeeDee Lamb. It made sense at the time. There were several notable names on the market including DeAndre Hopkins, Davante Adams, Cooper Kupp, Amari Cooper, and Diontae Johnson. Jones swung a trade with the Carolina Panthers for Jonathan Mingo in arguably the most confusing move of the trade deadline.
While Mingo was just 23 years old at the time, Jones traded a fourth-round pick for the receiver, which was viewed as a massive overpay then and looks like highway robbery now. Mingo caught five passes for 46 yards in eight games with the Cowboys. The trade was a major flop but showed the league how easy it was to swindle the owner/acting general manager.
Pittsburgh clearly didn’t forget. Their latest trade—sending George Pickens to Dallas—might’ve topped the Mingo deal altogether. Only Jerry could make giving up a fourth-rounder for Mingo seem reasonable in hindsight. He just got fleeced. Again.
Cowboys overpay for George Pickens in shocking post-draft trade
Per Ian Rapoport, the Cowboys traded a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth to the Steelers for George Pickens and a 2027 sixth. That’s the deal. For a guy with one year left on his rookie contract and a history of sideline spats, it’s a gamble that feels more desperate than calculated.
Yes, Pickens is talented. He’s a legitimate upgrade over anyone in Dallas not named CeeDee Lamb. But this wasn’t the time, and it sure wasn’t the price. The Cowboys just gave up premium future picks for the right to maybe pay him $25 million next year (if they can sign him).
This was desperation. This was the fallout of missing out on a WR in the draft, watching Mingo flop, and realizing too late that Jalen Tolbert is just... fine.
Pickens might produce. He might even be great. But for a team that missed the playoffs and hasn’t been to an NFC Championship Game in three decades, mortgaging multiple future picks for a potential one-year rental is the kind of short-sighted move that sets franchises back and keeps fanbases confused. The trade will no doubt excite Dallas fans. But it's still hard to view this as anything less than a big overpay.
If Pickens doesn’t pan out or bolts in free agency, this trade will be remembered as another reckless swing by a front office stuck chasing its past. And Giants fans will gladly watch it all unravel.