As Cowboys receiver George Pickens closes in on the expiration of his rookie contract and the payday to follow, every great game matters.<\/p>\n
Every not-great game could, too.<\/p>\n
On Thursday night, something seemed off. Targeted nine times, Pickens had five catches for only 37 yards. It was his lowest yardage output since Week 1, when he caught three passes for 30 yards against the Eagles.<\/p>\n
The other issue was his demeanor. He seemed to be, at times, a little disinterested. He seemed to be, at times, a little disengaged. On one play, when the pass was thrown his way, he seemed to run his route half-heartedly. And it appeared that quarterback Dak Prescott had something to say to him about it.<\/p>\n
Apparently, Richard Sherman had something to say about Pickens\u2019s perceived effort and demeanor during the post-game show on Prime Video. And that prompted Pickens to respond on Instagram.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the whole thing<\/a>, as posted on Twitter by SteelersDepot.com. In it, Pickens attacks Sherman as a player, saying he \u201cain\u2019t shh without the Legion of Boom we all remember San Francisco brother.\u201d (Sherman was a Pro Bowler and a second-team All-Pro with the 49ers in 2019.) <\/p>\n Pickens also called Sherman a \u201cLEACH WEIRDO.\u201d<\/p>\n I\u2019m a huge George Pickens fan. I believe the Steelers consistently failed to get the most out of his rare abilities in his three seasons there. I also believe it\u2019s imperative, with a highly-talented receiver, to scheme ways to get the ball in his hands early, with bubble screens and jet sweeps if the down-field opportunities aren\u2019t there.<\/p>\n After receiver CeeDee Lamb left last night\u2019s game with a concussion, the Lions apparently committed to taking Pickens away. Which created opportunities for Ryan Flournoy.<\/p>\n Still, Sherman\u2019s assessments weren\u2019t incorrect. It did seem as if Pickens was frustrated at times, disinterested at times, disengaged at times. Sherman\u2019s current position compels him to share his honest opinions, based on what he sees.<\/p>\n And Pickens needs to remember the reputation that stuck to him in Pittsburgh. Right or wrong, he was painted as immature at times, unreliable at times, undependable at times. Even if he was simply reacting to the team\u2019s chronic failure to get the most out of him (they\u2019re currently doing the same thing with DK Metcalf, by the way), it\u2019s part of how he\u2019s viewed by many fans. When he seems to behave in a manner that is consistent with the past, past perceptions quickly morph into currently perceived realities.<\/p>\n For their part, the Cowboys are wisely tiptoeing around the question of whether Pickens gave his all, all the time, on Thursday night.<\/p>\n Asked Friday about Pickens\u2019s effort against the Lions, coach Brian Schottenheimer said this: \u201cI\u2019m gonna judge George on his body of work<\/a> and what he\u2019s shown and the elite player he is and what a game changer that he is.\u201d<\/p>\n