After a season that saw Pickens be a model citizen for the most part, it appears some are still unsure if that was a blip on the radar, or if he truly has turned a corner.
Dallas Cowboys receiver George Pickens came to The Star last offseason with many people having a preconceived notion of the type of person Brian Schottenheimer was getting.
Troubles off the field, and his fiery nature on it when in Pittsburgh, it all spelled a potential disaster waiting to happen in Dallas.
Except under Schottenheimer, it didn't.
Yes, there were the odd missteps, including the Las Vegas incident with CeeDee Lamb and a two-game stretch where his on-field demeanor looked poor. But aside from that, over 1,400 yards and nine touchdowns from 93 receptions ended with a first Pro Bowl nod.
After watching George, listening to him throughout the year, and hearing what his coaches and teammates said about him, it was clear that the person he was being portrayed as was nothing like the one who came to Dallas.
Those character concerns proved to be nothing more than background noise.
But after a superb season, it still appears some hold Pickens' exploits in Pittsburgh against him.
NFL.com's Marc Ross, in his piece selecting players deserving of a big payday, named Pickens, but it's like a back-handed compliment to George with how he ended it.
"Maturity issues aside, Pickens' on-field production is hard to ignore," Ross wrote. "Pickens established a rapport with Dak Prescott early on and ended the campaign with five games of 130-plus receiving yards.
"The big-bodied wideout has earned a major payday, but given the character concerns, it's a buyer-beware situation."
That last sentence will irk George.
Are there character concerns surrounding Pickens as we head into the offseason? You could make the case that most of those doubts have been eased to an extent.
Is it a "buyer-beware" situation? Are teams worried about giving him a huge contract for the fear of it turning sideways?
George's stellar 2025 season should point to the benefit of the doubt.
The Cowboys will likely franchise tag him, to then get another season of evaluation before handing over in excess of $30 million APY.
But after all he has done in 2025 to shift the narrative surrounding him from his time in Pittsburgh, it appears others are still hung up on that.
What does Pickens need to do to break free of that narrative?
If a 1,429-yard, 9 TD season that ends with a Pro Bowl nod that clearly saw Pickens turn a corner won't do it, I'm not sure what else will.