Cowboys WR George Pickens is focused on the present, not past in Pittsburgh

The reputation for new Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens preceded his first conference call with local media on Thursday afternoon.

Prior to Pittsburgh, he was known as a uniquely talented receiver who needed to “grow up,” according to one anonymous wide receiver coach in the NFL. By Week 13 of last season, three years into a productive, yet somewhat chaotic, tenure in Pittsburgh, his head coach, Mike Tomlin, repeated that message.

“He’s got to grow up,” Tomlin said after Pickens was flagged for two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties that game. “He’s got to grow up in a hurry.”

Pickens was asked specifically about that Tomlin quote. He was also asked multiple questions about his time in Pittsburgh and ultimately why it ended for a 24-year-old heading into the final year of his rookie contract.

Instead of talking about the past, Pickens talked mostly about his new future in Dallas.

“It’s business,” Pickens said when asked about the split with the team that once drafted him 52nd overall. “This game is just as much business as it is football, so it’s kind of out of my control. Like I said, I’m just glad to be in Dallas and to be able to continue the winning culture they have here.”

A change of scenery has been rumored for Pickens for a while. The Cowboys were one of multiple teams that talked to the Steelers prior to the NFL Draft about a potential trade for the former second round pick. Those conversations fizzled before draft weekend, but picked up after draft weekend.

For the Cowboys, sources indicate their interest in a potential Pickens trade never wavered. They had targeted Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan in the draft and would’ve selected him if he fell to No. 12. Instead, McMillan ended up in Carolina and the Cowboys stuck to their board, selecting their probable starting right guard in Alabama’s Tyler Booker.

The Cowboys never selected a wide receiver in the draft, meaning their thirst for an upgrade at wide receiver opposite of All-Pro CeeDee Lamb went unquenched. To satiate it, they decided to trade a 2026 third round pick and 2027 late round pick swap to acquire Pickens in the final year of his deal.

When asked by DLLS, Pickens said he never requested a trade form Pittsburgh. He said that he found out about the deal the same time the rest of the world did. He compared it to his draft night experience.

“I feel great,” Pickens said about being traded to Dallas. “I like the mojo here. I like the swag. A lot of new players I’ve been meeting along the way. I feel like they’ve got a great thing going.”

Pickens said on Thursday that his focus is about doing what he can to help the Cowboys. His answers, and his tone, were different than the perspective he’s displayed in the past.

Pickens was profiled in a 2023 article in The Ringer titled, “George Pickens Thinks He’s the Best Receiver in the World — Because He’s the Weirdest.” The quotes within it backed up the title.

“The stuff that I do, bro, I feel like I’m the best in the whole world,” Pickens told The Ringer. “I’m big, I’m fast, low 4.4 [speed]. Catch radius is crazy. So every time I get out on the field, I do kind of play angry because I should get the ball on every play if you just look at the size and the frame. If I was a coach, I’d just throw to him every time. But that’s not how the NFL works. So every time I’m out there, that’s why I throw the blocks. I love getting the ball, and when I’m not getting the ball I play angry so the attention is back on me. I basically draw attention to myself.”

His first conference call with local media offered a different vibe. He was concise, polite and often returned to talking points about the macro, rather than the micro. He was asked about being someone who loves to get the ball — someone who loves to draw attention — and how different it might be playing in a place where there’s a proven first option in Lamb.

Pickens said having the chance to play with Lamb — someone he’s known for a while — excited him.

“In the game of football, we can work off each other,” Pickens said. “There’s no, ‘Oh, he gets the ball. I get the ball.’ We’re working off each other. That’s why I always come back to building a winning culture, and that’s kind of what we’ve been talking about in Dallas.

“You can’t double everybody.”

There’s plenty of reason for excitement about the possible tandem if things go according to plan. The Cowboys have been searching for a big-bodied outside receiver that can make contested catches. That’s why they had interest in McMillan. Pickens fills the same gap. Pickens has averaged over 1,000 yards per season in his career and over 16 yards per catch. In 2023, he averaged 18.1 yards per catch.

Pickens, in the interview with The Ringer, described himself as a noodle. He compared himself to superhero “Mr. Fantastic,” whose power allows him to stretch well beyond the capabilities of normal humans. As for his mentality, Pickens said on Thursday it’s simple: “catch everything.”

Pickens said he’ll find a place to live and a car to drive soon so he can move to Dallas. It’ll be his home at least for the next season. Pickens, sources told DLLS, plans to play out his rookie contract. When asked about the contract, Pickens said his focus is on this upcoming season.

“I’m kind of where my feet are, to be honest,” Pickens said.

Whether Pickens does earn a second contract in Dallas, or another mega contract elsewhere, remains to be seen. Those on the outside would consider it contingent on not only playing well, but fulfilling Tomlin’s request from late last season.

As for Pickens, he’s focusing on himself moving forward.

“I can’t really change anyone’s opinion,” Pickens, 24, said. “Me personally, I just … continue to grow. I feel like everyone in the world has to grow. You get older and older as you grow. Like I said, I’m just trying to build a winning culture, which they already have at the Cowboys. I’m just glad to be joining it.”