The messaging behind the George Pickens trade from Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin was a chance for a necessary fresh start for both sides. The Pittsburgh Steelers seemed ready to move on from some of the drama just as much as Pickens was hoping to escape the negative narratives about him that were inescapable in Pittsburgh.
Some players try to stay away from social media and what is said about them in the media, but there reaches a point where it’s impossible to avoid. It sounds like Pickens is keenly aware of his image in the media.
“I’m actually a chill guy,” Pickens said via Tommy Yarrish of DallasCowboys.com. “There’s a big phase of a tornado that’s not even true. I’m a chill guy and I just love to work…Just staying humble. That’s kind of what I always did. So even when the story was what the story was, I always just kept working, staying humble.”
While there were reportedly some Steelers players who reached their limit with Pickens in the locker room, others spent the last year or two defending him as misunderstood. Donte Jackson said nobody loves football more than Pickens. That passion can manifest itself in different ways.
“I think they kind of get it confused once you’re so passionate about something you’re willing to do anything for,” CeeDee Lamb said of his new teammate’s public image. “He hasn’t stopped smiling since he got here, so I’ll start with that.”
Lamb was careful not to stir unnecessary drama, but acknowledged Pickens seems to be turning a new leaf in Dallas and is excited as ever about his new opportunity. If all goes well with Dak Prescott and some of the young pieces on the Cowboys, it has a chance to be the best offense Pickens has been a part of by a fairly wide margin.
He had three years in Pittsburgh with nothing but turmoil. There was no consistent leader in the locker room on the offensive side of the football. He never had the same starting quarterback to enter a season, and he had three offensive coordinator changes in three years if you count Eddie Faulkner as the interim OC after Matt Canada was fired.
The Cowboys offer stability and a chance to learn from guys like Lamb and Prescott, even if it’s just for a year before Pickens hits unrestricted free agency. He is reportedly betting on himself this year with no intention of seeking a contract extension until he proves himself as one of the best.
As for the trade from Pittsburgh, it didn’t come as a big surprise.
“Everything is kind of a business. So I wasn’t really too shocked or too excited,” Pickens said. “I was just ready to work.”
Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer praised Pickens for his conduct in the early meetings, saying he is dialed in and working hard to catch up to the veterans on the team.
Maybe a fresh start is all that was needed after all.
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