The Dallas Cowboys made a big splash before the start of the season. From a football perspective, acquiring George Pickens made perfect sense. Still, there were more than enough reasons to be worried about him.
The fact that Mike Tomlin chose to give up on him raised doubts about his character. There had been multiple reports about his difficult personality, not to mention several clips of him getting into fights mid-route. Fast forward to today, and it seems like those red flags are a thing of the past.
The Cowboys Are Getting a More Mature George Pickens
If anything, the former second-round pick has looked like a much more mature player and person. That was evident again after the 44-24 road loss to the Denver Broncos, as he acknowledged that they just needed to regroup and get back to business:
"Knowing that the sun's gonna rise the next day, and it's going to be another day after that, then you got another game, so you definitely can't sit and pout on it, or else, you're gonna lose it," Pickens said after the game, via DallasCowboys.com. "So, we definitely have another opportunity and when we get that chance, we definitely gotta execute."
Following his trade, Pickens didn't want to read too much into his reputation. Instead, he vowed to get better, prove the doubters wrong, and, much more importantly, help build a winning culture again in Arlington.
“I can’t really change anyone’s opinion of me personally. I just continue to grow. I feel like everybody in the world has to grow. I’m trying to build a winning culture, which they already have with the Cowboys. I’m just glad to be joining it,” Pickens told The Athletic in May.
Pickens is eligible to sign a contract extension, and the early returns of his days in Texas sure make it seem like the Cowboys need to do whatever it takes to keep him around. He excelled as the team's primary pass catcher when CeeDee Lamb was out with an injury, but he's also looked comfortable taking a step back when Lamb has been on the field.
Through the first eight games of the season, the Georgia product has hauled in 43 receptions on 63 targets for 685 receiving yards and six touchdowns. And while he wouldn't be the first player who breaks out and behaves well in the midst of a contract year, he's just too talented, and, therefore, he might be worth the risk.