Dallas Cowboys receiver George Pickens will play the 2025 season with far more eyes on him than ever before.
And why?
Partly due to playing for America's Team, and partly due to the character narrative that has followed him from the Pittsburgh Steelers to The Star.
Seen as a fiery customer, we have lost track of how many analysts and media personalities alike have already predicted George's downfall in Dallas because of his fiery on-field character.
So, what better narrative to pan out than for Pickens to keep things in check, ball out in 2025, and become a genuine star of the league?
For NFL.com's Tom Blair, George is one player he'll be rooting for this upcoming season.
"Neither the Cowboys nor Pickens are unfamiliar with drama -- which is what would make it extra compelling if he simply went out and thrived as Dak Prescott's new WR2, shining in a complementary role while CeeDee Lamb carried the WR1 load," Blair wrote.
"There would be something undeniably satisfying about a rising big-play monster (Pickens ranks second in the NFL over the past three seasons with a yards-per-catch mark of 16.3) performing so well that we're all forced to focus solely on his on-field contributions, subverting any expectations that his addition to the heavily scrutinized, high-pressure setting in Dallas would generate juicy headlines. (And don't worry, we'll be able to endlessly dissect his status as a potential free agent next offseason soon enough.)"
CeeDee Lamb And George Pickens At AT&T
CeeDee Lamb And George Pickens At AT&T
By Tony Fisher / courtesy DallasCowboys.com
It is sort of a shock to hear that a media guy is rooting for a player. But it's refreshing, too.
Meanwhile ...
It is a shame that Pickens has already been painted in such a light for the Cowboys, when everything we have seen at OTAs, minicamp, and what we've heard from Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb points to George being nothing like that.
Yes, we get it, this is only the offseason, and once the real NFL bullets start flying and Pickens gets his first taste of frustration or adversity, how he reacts will be pivotal.
But we're giving Pickens a chance to prove he can put his fiery nature to one side and keep it in check, because as odd as it sounds, the Cowboys' proposed success in Brian Schottenheimer's first year might just depend on it.