The Dallas Cowboys went into the offseason needing a second receiver and they ultimately landed on George Pickens. Pickens has been short on talent, but his mercurial attitude overshadowed the 174 catches, 2,841 yards and 12 touchdowns he had in three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
For the past couple of months, Pickens and the Cowboys have had an amicable relationship. But many knew Dallas had to tread lightly in order not to awaken the bad side of Pickens’s personality. That may have been the case on Sunday afternoon after FOX Sports cameras caught Pickens slamming his helmet on the sidelines in the fourth quarter of a 31-14 loss to the Chicago Bears, perhaps signaling that the honeymoon period is over.
George Pickens’s Frustrations Boil Over in Loss to Bears
The sequence happened when the Cowboys were trying to make their last gasp in Sunday’s blowout loss. With Dak Prescott driving down the field, he fired a pass to Pickens on a 1st-and-10 at Chicago’s 36-yard line. But the pass clanged off of Pickens’s hands and into the air before it landed into the hands of a diving Tremaine Edmunds for the interception.
It was that kind of afternoon for the Cowboys, who saw Dak Prescott throw a pair of interceptions and CeeDee Lamb exit the game early with an ankle injury. But it may get worse if Pickens crashes out over his lack of targets.
Pickens entered Sunday’s game with the Bears making eight catches for 98 yards and a touchdown through the first two games. While Pickens had five catches for 68 yards and a touchdown in Sunday’s loss, his drop not only halted the comeback but drew the ire of Cowboys fans after the game.
Even worse? Fans know how bad Pickens’s frustrations can boil over. Pickens’ was a powder keg during his time with the Steelers with sideline outbursts, altercations with fans and even altercations with teammates. Former head coach Mike Tomlin also bluntly said that Pickens “has to grow up” as his play declined last December and the incidents ultimately led to his ticket out of Pittsburgh.
Pickens has the talent to be a playmaker the Cowboys need, especially if Lamb is out for an extended period of time. But outbursts like the one on Sunday may make the juice not worth the squeeze. With a disappointing performance compared to his expectations coming into the week and Pickens’ aiming for big production in a contract year, the honeymoon could become a toxic relationship if Pickens’s frustrations continue.