George Pickens became the latest in a long line of talented Pittsburgh Steelers receivers whose attitude overshadowed and ultimately killed their potential. And when no other teams were willing to take the risk, the Dallas Cowboys ultimately took a chance on him.
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The former Georgia standout’s time in Pittsburgh was turbulent, to say the least. While his raw talent was undeniable, Pickens’ inconsistency, lack of effort, on-field taunting, and frequent altercations made him a liability. Eventually, the Steelers had seen enough.
And head coach Mike Tomlin finally pulled the trigger, deciding it was time to move on, despite repeated external warnings and growing public scrutiny. One of the loudest critics was Steelers legend and Hall of Fame cornerback Mel Blount, who openly questioned the team’s culture, pointing to players like Pickens as a symptom of a larger issue.
Blount had called out Pickens’ poor attitude and argued that such behavior undermines team success. This was in March, much before Pittsburgh sent the wide receiver packing.
According to Blount, having problematic stars in the locker room is one of the key reasons the Steelers haven’t lifted the Lombardi Trophy in recent years.
” If you take a guy like Pickens. If your star players are gonna have bad attitudes, outbursts, that’s not good. A reporter once asked Chuck Knoll, one How do you keep winning. He said, Good people. He didn’t say anything about great athletes or being lucky,” said Blount during an appearance on Ben Roethlisberger’s podcast.
“If you are in a league, you are a good athlete. But you need people who can look at the situation and put somebody else before themselves,” he added.
Pickens’ time in Pittsburgh was marred by a series of behavioral issues that raised red flags within the organization.
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The receiver showed up late to the team’s Christmas Day game, once flipped off Colts fans, and even appeared with a profane message scrawled beneath his eyes.
The UGA Alum had a public outburst on the sidelines where he yelled at both coaches and teammates. He also failed to block for his teammates on numerous occasions.
In 2024 alone, the former Georgia receiver racked up over $80,000 in fines from the NFL due to a string of incidents: multiple unnecessary roughness penalties, unsportsmanlike conduct, two postgame fights, and the offensive eye black message.
Pickens even got into a heated sideline exchange with fans, another one of his many off-field distractions that ultimately led to his departure. Now the question is: Will things be any different in Dallas?
Pickens promises to change
Pickens says he’s ready to turn over a new leaf with the Cowboys. In a recent interview, he didn’t shy away from acknowledging his past immaturity, even admitting that Tomlin frequently challenged him to grow up during his time in Pittsburgh.
“Just taking one day at a time. I feel like everybody in the world is working on growing, on their bettering of their self. I feel like growth for me is taking a great direction in me coming to the Cowboys,” said Pickens.
Pickens claims he’s committed to maturing — both on and off the field. But talk is cheap. If he wants to build a lasting career in the NFL, he’ll need to back up those words with action.
This is a moment for real self-reflection, where he must clean up his attitude and elevate his game, because the talent has never been in question.
With a more stable quarterback situation in Dallas led by Dak Prescott, Pickens has a real opportunity to be more productive. But that will only happen if he leaves the drama behind and focuses on being the professional his new team expects him to be.
