Former Steelers WR George Pickens provides a simple but profound attack on the culture of his former home away from home.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are still reeling from trading WR George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys. Since then, Pickens hasn't wasted any time in calling out the problems of his former team.
On Friday, Pickens took a subtle critique of the Steelers by calling out its culture, per Jack Markowski of Sports Illustrated. He did so during OTAs with the Cowboys when asked about his time in Pittsburgh.
“Just everything. The culture, too,” he said. “That's the thing. It's super refreshing with a different culture.”
Meanwhile, Dallas is excited to snatch up the talents of one of the most established receivers in the NFL. Cowboys WR CeeCee Lamb is enthusiastic to be paired with Pickens this season.
“Everything. His demeanor. Everything he brings to the table. Deep threat ability. Able to block. And just the energy he brings to the game,” Lamb said via Jon Machota of The Athletic. “We complement each other very well. … He hasn’t stopped smiling since he got here:.
In many ways, Pickens is the perfect partner for Lamb. He brings with him a vast array of skills, including catching contested passes and maximizing field yardage.
Overall, Pickens possesses an energy the Cowboys need—an energy that was not exuded during his time with the Steelers.
George Pickens' difficult time with the Steelers
Pickens' tenure with the Steelers can be summed up in many ways. Tempestuous, toxic, and tantalizing is the least of it.
For all his gifts, Pickens struggled with consistency and had some off-the-field matters that hurt him. Last year, he was at least 50% consistent when playing with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.
Even though he showed flashes of success, he was not up to par as expected. Pickens said disparaging things about the Steelers' coaching staff off the field, showed up late to games, and would post frequent stuff on social media.
His departure from the franchise was a breath of air for both.
