Pickens was fighting a narrative as soon as he landed in Dallas, and you could make the case that he felt most of his baggage in Pittsburgh.
When the Dallas Cowboys traded for receiver George Pickens in the offseason, the move was met with varying emotions.
Some were excited that a talented No. 1 receiver was joining Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, making a potent trio for Brian Schottenheimer to attack with.
However, others were less excited and more cautious.
Why? Pickens' narrative around his antics on and off the field.
Dallas felt it was a gamble worth taking...and it was proven right.
There were many doubters of George's move, but No. 3 quickly won over the skeptics en route to a 1,429-yard, 9-TD season that ended with his first Pro Bowl nod.
That'll do.
Pickens kept the Cowboys' offense afloat when CeeDee was out injured, making 100-yard games look easy (had five in total).
Oh, and his deep threat? It was just as good, averaging a crisp 15.4 yards per reception -- George was a chain mover.
Such has been his performance in 2025 that many of Pickens' critics have been forced to eat their words, one being NFL.com's Bucky Brooks.
In his piece, Brooks listed 10 players who "proved him wrong," and when it came to George, Brooks could do nothing but applaud the receiver's work.
"After the Steelers traded away the so-called malcontent to the Cowboys, questions persisted about Pickens' willingness to co-exist with an elite receiver in CeeDee Lamb," Brooks wrote.
"Given his performance, production and pizzazz on the perimeter, the impending free agent deserves a standing ovation for his first Pro Bowl season."
And, we might add, an apology?
At one stage during George's terror spell, there was even a conversation about whether Lamb was the best receiver on Dallas' roster. Yes, he was that good.
There were a couple of blips, but for the most part, Pickens was excellent in his first year as a Cowboy, and now comes the next "character test," if you will.
His contract.
Expected to be franchise tagged by Dallas (roughly $28 million APY in 2026), Pickens could easily want Lamb-type money of $34 million APY, and he might just get it with another team.
But the chemistry built with Prescott, Lamb and the Cowboys' offense, I'm not sure George would thrive like he did in 2025 elsewhere.
Afterall, any team he goes to likely won't have an All-Pro receiver on the other side to help dictate coverages.
Will it be money or success that Pickens chases?
Either way, 2025 will be looked back on as the year Pickens shrugged off that narrative in Pittsburgh as he became one of the best receivers in football.
And that, my friends, deserves a "standing ovation."