The tale of George Pickens isn't vanilla-flavored. It's not a simple story, and it's one with several layers and opinions to be had. But, one thing is clear in this moment: Pickens has found a home with the Dallas Cowboys.
From the moment Dallas made the move to acquire him from the Pittsburgh Steelers, narratives and criticisms have been thrown around left and right. It wasn't hard for someone to take a negative spin on Pickens joining the Cowboys based solely on his past experience in Pittsburgh.
But, head coach Brian Schottenheimer recently detailed how quickly he became a fan of Pickens in a report written by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Todd Archer.
"The minute I sat down with George Pickens in my office, and we shot some hoops, it was very clear to me, this guy was fired up to be a Dallas Cowboy and excited to help us go win games," Schottenheimer told Fowler and Archer.
Brian Schottenheimer was sold on George Pickens when the majority of the football world still had doubts
The trade happened all the way back in early May of this year, and if you remember correctly, there was an overwhelming amount of people who laughed at the move. And, to be frank, it wasn't completely off-base for folks to have that type of sentiment towards the deal.
Pickens' history in Pittsburgh was a colored one, that's for sure. He had plenty of moments that saw his former head coach, Mike Tomlin, at a loss for words. Pickens' outbursts and antics were enough to scare off any prospective team.
But, not the Cowboys.
It was a risk that now looks absolutely brilliant. Schottenheimer clearly bought into his new wide receiver in a hurry. All it took was chopping it up a bit while shooting some hoops and, like Schotty said, from the minute they met, it was a match made in heaven.
Somehow, some way, Schottenheimer was the man who could help bring the best out of Pickens. Not even Cowboys fans wearing the rosiest-colored glasses would have predicted it to turn out like this.
Pickens has played like a man possessed. Several games, this year, he's had moments where he's looked like the best wide receiver in football. A few months ago, saying something like that would have gotten somebody laughed at.
Now? It's far from hyperbole.
Jerry Jones took the chance. Schottenheimer welcomed Pickens with open arms. The rest is history.
Now, fans are hoping Pickens doesn't go anywhere and will continue to help this Dallas offense thrive behind he, Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb.