Does Cowboys HC Brian Schottenheimer know what he's getting into with George Pickens?

It sounds like new Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens has been on his best behavior so far.

On May 7, the Pittsburgh Steelers dealt Pickens and a 2027 sixth-rounder to the Cowboys for a 2027 third and fifth-rounder. Maturity concerns were one key reason the Steelers traded the talented wideout.

Since the trade, the WR has shown signs of growth. On Tuesday at OTAs, new Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said Pickens has been "dialed in" during meetings.

"My time with him has been incredible," Schottenheimer told the media. "We were all on board [with adding him]. I see a guy that is maturing and is obviously a tremendous athlete." 

However, has he met the real Pickens yet? The WR who received several fines in three seasons with Pittsburgh and tested Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin's patience. 

In January 2024, CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones reported the NFL and the Steelers fined Pickens approximately $200K during the 2023 season, which devoured a sizeable chunk of his salary. Per Spotrac, his 2023 base salary was $1.01M.  

Pickens received more fines during the 2024 season. He was fined over $20K for two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in a Week 13 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Tomlin ripped the WR following the 44-38 victory. 

"He's just got to grow up, man," Tomlin told the media. "This is an emotional game, man. These divisional games are big. He's got a target on his back because he's George. He understands that. But he's got to grow up. He's got to grow up in a hurry."   

Pickens said he wants to continue to "grow" after the trade, via Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. If he can continue to do that, he could boost the Cowboys passing attack. In three seasons with Pittsburgh, he had 174 receptions for 2,841 yards and 12 touchdown catches. 

If he doesn't, the Cowboys may have a problem. Tomlin — a Super Bowl champion — struggled to handle the temperamental WR. Could a rookie HC in Schottenheimer control Pickens? Don't count on it.