Four Games In, a Cowboys Player Finally Said Out Loud What Everyone’s Starting to Realize About George Pickens
In the aftermath of the Dallas Cowboys’ trade for wide receiver George Pickens, there was a point in which a report emerged indicated multiple NFL teams “laughed at the idea of inviting Pickens into their locker room for any price.”
Pickens’ attitude—often criticized in his days as a Georgia Bulldog and Pittsburgh Steeler—was the major question surrounding the Cowboys’ biggest trade in years. It was never about the football but the player’s behavior. So while Pickens’ on-field success including 300 receiving yards and four touchdowns in four games isn’t exactly a surprise, his way of handling himself is.
Cowboys safety Juanyeh Thomas—who is in line to start Sunday against the New York Jets after Malik Hooker was ruled out Friday and later placed on Injured Reserve—recently shared his thoughts about Pickens on social media.
Cowboys safety says Pickens is a Top 3 teammate in Dallas
Thomas not only said that Pickens is a good teammate, which is becoming increasingly obvious, but he said he’s one of the best on the team.
“If we had a vote for the best teammate in the locker room, George would be easily in the top 3,” Thomas posted before suggesting the Pickens narrative was media-driven.
The post was in response to a Steelers fan account reading “Turns out he’s a great guy!”
In reality, the Pickens narrative wasn’t only media-driven but also pushed by people in the Steelers organization. What’s become clear, however, is that the Cowboys wide receiver has grown in the past year. Perhaps the trade was a wake up call or perhaps he’s just genuinely happier in Dallas, where he’s surrounded by a better offense.
Speaking of, Pickens’ relationship with the team has clearly been nurtured by Dak Prescott, Brian Schottenheimer, and even CeeDee Lamb, who even told media in the offseason that both receivers were co-ones.
Will Pickens change if he goes several games without being targeted a lot? That might be the final hurdle the Cowboys have to clear. But right now, the honeymoon phase is still ongoing and paying dividends for an offense that will need Pickens to step up as the WR1 for the second consecutive week.
