Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens found himself the subject of some pretty severe scrutiny by former AllPro turned analyst Richard Sherman.
Pickens reacted in kind on social media, in a now-deleted Instagram post, which also became scrutinized by fans and analysts alike.
But Brian Schottenheimer stepped in with a composed response, one that could shape Pickens‘s future in Dallas. The reactions, socialmedia fallout, and underlying context offer a revealing look at tensions inside a team balancing high expectations and a contract year.
Schottenheimer addressed the nowdeleted post Pickens made in response to Sherman‘s criticism, clarifying that he plans to speak with him but isn’t ready to condemn him based on one rough outing. “I’m going to judge George on the body of work and his body of work shows that he is an elite player,” Schottenheimer said.
Pickens‘s deleted post, laced with profanity, struck back at Sherman:
“Stop becoming [an] analyst and talking about one player when he playin a teams game. Lots of shh has to go right for explosive plays,” he wrote, and added Sherman “ain’t shh without the Legion of Boom.”
Schottenheimer‘s reaction was measured. He confirmed awareness of the post, acknowledged that he intends to follow up with Pickens, and stressed that a single game doesn’t define the receiver’s value.
Assessing Pickens‘s performance
The dustup comes after a difficult outing for Pickens in Thursday Night Football: despite entering the game as a key offensive option in the absence of injured star receiver CeeDee Lamb, Pickens finished with just five catches for 37 yards, along with two penalties that stalled momentum.
In his critique, Sherman didn’t mince words, calling Pickens‘s effort “uninterested” and “disengaged,” and questioning whether he deserves a top-tier contract if he can disappear late in games.
“If you’re going to be a superstar[…]you can’t ever be disengaged,” Sherman said. “It doesn’t matter if the game’s going your way or not going your way.”
But Schottenheimer and the Cowboys front office aren’t ready to abandon their belief in Pickens. Since arriving in Dallas, acquired in a trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pickens has shown himself to be a talented and productive receiver when given the opportunity.
Schottenheimer has repeatedly praised Pickens‘s work ethic and attitude: “From the time we got George…he made it very clear, he was like, ‘Coach, I’m thrilled to be here…I want to be great…Lean into me. Be tough on me. Tell me the things I need to do.'”
He’s called Pickens a “gamechanging talent,” said there are no cultural concerns within the locker room, and reiterated that the Cowboys are allin on offering him a long-term future.
With Pickens set to hit free agency after this season, the decision looms large, especially if the Cowboys opt to use the franchise tag or negotiate a hefty contract.
Read the full article here
