Dallas Cowboys fans are being treated to the beginning of the George Pickens experience. The former Pittsburgh Steelers receiver has a penchant for flashy grabs. His circus catch highlight reel spans a few minutes.
Just wait until the other shoe drops.
There’s a reason Pickens wound up wearing a star on his helmet rather than catching passes from Aaron Rodgers at his last stop. It has nothing to do with his wowing talent.
The Steelers loved Pickens’ ability to vacuum in unlikely receptions in the oddest of contortions. A few times last season, Russell Wilson detailed the electricity in Acrisure Stadium when Pickens showcased his acrobatics. He had such a catch against DaRon Bland at the Cowboys’ Tuesday practice.
Pickens has said the right things early on in Dallas. He shooed away any concerns that he’s problematic, stressing he’ll take it “one day at a time” and work on bettering himself. He believes his change of scenery is beneficial.
If all goes to plan, Pickens will maintain the upbeat attitude. He’ll make sure opposing defenses can’t key in on CeeDee Lamb, who will remain Dak Prescott’s preferred outlet. He’ll bring in his share of targets and — when he doesn’t — he’ll stray from any outburst. He’ll stay engaged after Prescott throws one too high on a third-and-8 in crunch time. But, um, that’s not the George Pickens that the Steel City knew.
And everyone knows the national media keeps a close watch on America’s Team.
Wave’s Bomani Jones said it as only he could after the Steelers dumped Pickens into Dallas’ lap this offseason.
“The answer why is very simple — something wrong with that boy. I don’t know what exactly it is that is wrong with him, but something wrong with that boy,” Jones said during a Wednesday reaction video posted on YouTube. “You have seen the plays where George Pickens is running the route, it’s an interception on the route and instead of trying to tackle the person who has the ball, George Pickens is trying to fight the person who had been covering him.
“Why? Because something wrong with that boy. I’m not saying, like, it’s clinical. I’m not saying it’s got a diagnosis. I’m just saying something ain’t right. You be watching him play and you be like, ‘Hey, man, I don’t know what’s going on here, but something ain’t right.'”
It’s not a matter of if Pickens’ temper rears its head. It’s when. Buckle up, Cowboys fans.