George Pickens became the latest in a long line of talented Steelers receivers whose attitude ultimately overshadowed their potential. The former Georgia standout’s time in Pittsburgh was turbulent. While his raw talent was undeniable, his inconsistency, lack of effort, on-field taunting, and frequent altercations made him a liability. Eventually, the Steelers had seen enough, and with no other teams willing to take the risk, it was the Dallas Cowboys who ultimately took a chance on him.
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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 didn’t hold back during an appearance on Ben Roethlisberger’s podcast.
Blount openly questioned the team’s culture, pointing to players like Pickens as a symptom of a larger issue. He called out the receiver’s poor attitude and argued that such behavior undermines team success. According to Blount, having problematic stars in the locker room is one of the key reasons the Steelers haven’t lifted another 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. 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.”
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George Pickens’ time in Pittsburgh was marred by a series of behavioral issues that raised red flags within the organization. He 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. He even got into a heated sideline exchange with fans, further illustrating the off-field distractions that ultimately led to his departure.
Pickens promises to change
Now with a fresh start in Dallas, George Pickens says he’s ready to turn over a new leaf. In a recent interview, he didn’t shy away from acknowledging his past immaturity, even admitting that Mike Tomlin frequently challenged him to grow up during his time in Pittsburgh. Pickens claims he’s committed to maturing—both on and off the field.
“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”.
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, 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.
