George Pickens had a breakout year in his first season with the Dallas Cowboys, including being selected to his first Pro Bowl. He was interviewed during his appearance at the event and was asked about some of his veteran teammates. He specifically explained why one of them was so influential to his success.
George Pickens Praises a Cowboys Teammate After Breakout Season in Dallas
Pickens spent the first three seasons of his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers before landing with the Cowboys last year. He has always been a productive wide receiver, but his transition to the Cowboys has quickly made him a superstar.
He was asked during his Pro Bowl appearance if any of the veteran Cowboys players specifically influenced his breakout performance. He named Dak Prescott and expressed his appreciation for the quarterback, a sentiment that had been expressed long before he joined the team.
“He’s way older than me, he’s been in the league for years. I used to watch him when I wasn’t in the league, so that’s already something influential, that when I see him it’s like, ‘That’s Dak Prescott.’ It’s definitely something influential for me to see somebody at the age he is still going,” explained Pickens.
Pickens will turn 25 in March, while Prescott turns 33 in July, so there is about an eight-year age gap between the two of them. The star wide receiver admitted to watching his quarterback play for the Cowboys for years before he entered the NFL himself. He believes that this helped him to respect him as a veteran leader, and he also praised him for still being at the top of his game.
The pairing between the two of them produced massive results in their first season together, including Pickens finishing third among all wide receivers in PFSN’s Impact Rankings. He trailed only Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, while significantly surpassing his previous career-best of finishing 17th. He also set new career-highs across the board with 93 receptions on 137 targets for 1,429 yards and 9 touchdowns.
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The Cowboys were successful in their goal last offseason of finding a legitimate wide receiver to pair with CeeDee Lamb and give them an elite duo at the position.
While he’s pending free agency this year on an expiring contract, many reports indicate the team plans to use the franchise tag on its new superstar. He clearly enjoys playing with Prescott, and his contributions have almost made keeping him an essential this offseason.
