He could moss corners and toe-tap sidelines. One play was all it took for Pickens to flip a drive. But no highlight reel could save him from the one voice that mattered—Mike Tomlin. After three years of side-eyes and tension, the coach snapped. On national TV, Tomlin told him, “Grow up.” Even Cam Heyward said, “I was surprised” when he heard the Pickens trade news. But Tomlin had tried everything patiently for 3 years. Then came the breaking point.
He didn’t say it out loud—but he might as well have. A sign appeared outside the Steelers’ locker room: No George Pickens Allowed. But now the signature blue uniform has accepted Pickens as one of their own. Maybe Jerry Jones had hinted at Pickens when he said the Cowboys were ready for “pretty substantive trade.”
When the Steelers traded George Pickens to the Cowboys, fans braced for fireworks. The WR room already felt packed. The question loomed—who would be WR1? Everyone expected ego battles behind closed doors. But instead, what unfolded was pure sportsmanship and a quiet shift in culture. Pickens made his stance clear through an Instagram story. He reshared a post from CeeDee Lamb. In the picture, both receivers wear flaming red Cowboys jerseys—Pickens in #14, Lamb in #88. Pickens added one word to Lamb’s original caption: “Goodfellas .” Nobody could sniff out any threats of rivalry anymore.
That post turned heads. It was a message that Pickens and Lamb are ready to complement, not compete. Meanwhile, back in Pittsburgh, the Steelers are left banking on DK Metcalf.
Pickens isn’t shy about the fit. After trade news turned all eyes towards him, Pickens told NFL Network, “Oh, it excites me a lot.” Then he doubled down when asked about his future dynamic with Lamb. “We can work off each other… That’s why I always come back to, you know, building a winning culture.” In just days, two alpha receivers became allies. “Super dynamic receiver,” Pickens said of Lamb. “Schematically, you won’t be able to double everybody. That will be a great thing for me and him.”
And Dallas may have just leveled up. After almost being dumped like an old car, Pickens was not moping about. He had his chin up and said, “I like the mojo here. I like the swag. I feel like they have a great thing going on.” Time has proved him correct. Somebody who was let go citing personality and disruptive issues sure seems to have found a new group of cleats to accept him.
Locker room brotherhood between George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb
It seems like George Pickens has finally found his “winning culture” in Dallas—and it’s wearing number 88. Inside the Cowboys locker room, there’s no stuffy air of tension—just pure brotherly spirit. And in return, CeeDee Lamb has found more than a teammate. He’s got a running mate.
“We both ones,” Lamb said, with Pickens nodding beside him, via Cowboys. “It ain’t no A, B, none of that. It’s one. You look over there, you see one. You look over here, you see another one. So do what you gotta do with that.” It’s clear both receivers see themselves as equals in this offense.
The quote lit up social media. Cowboys star Micah Parsons even joked on X, “Ceeedee done found a new best friend.” That line sums it up. Lamb looks genuinely happy to share targets. And Pickens? He’s arriving off a season with 103 targets, 900 yards, and a big-play rep.
Lamb hasn’t had a real co-star since Amari Cooper in 2021. No Cowboys WR has since cracked 660 yards. Now with Pickens, defenses face a dual threat. The two wideouts even appeared at a charity event together. The duo was spotted at Kyler Murray’s inaugural charity softball game in Scottsdale, Arizona. That’s more than on-field trust—it’s off-field unity too.
But this chemistry didn’t appear overnight. Lamb’s rise came through adversity. After the Cowboys’ playoff loss in February, he admitted, “I need to grow up!” By December, his tone had changed. “I could be more of a leader,” he said. “If I’m going to take this label of being [WR1], I take full accountability.” In 2024, he’s backed it all up—toughness, versatility, even landing a hit or two when it mattered. Now, with Pickens beside him, that WR1 title finally feels earned—and shared.
Cowboys’ locker room seems to be the perfect place for both the WRs to “grow up.”
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