Steelers Now
George Pickens must continue his wait for a long-term contract. The former Pittsburgh Steelers receiver and the Dallas Cowboys watched the deadline pass for franchise-tagged players to come to such an agreement, which means, after a 1,400-yard season, he’ll have to prove himself once more.
Former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho isn’t so sure that will be with America’s Team. It’s almost certainly a frustrating ordeal for Pickens, who trailed only Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the Los Angeles Rams’ Puka Nacua in receiving yardage a campaign ago.
“Until I see George Pickens lace up (for) a game, even in preseason … I’m still not convinced that he’s playing in Dallas on this tag,” Acho said Wednesday on “Speakeasy.” “I’ve gotta see it to believe it, because I haven’t seen it before in the history of that agency, recent history. Until I see it, I can’t change my belief. But if he does play on the tag, it’s a gigantic mistake.
“You work to get a long-term contract, and he did everything he was supposed to do.”
Pickens was an unpredictable talent while playing for Mike Tomlin and the Steelers, who probably had a similar issue in mind had they kept him around rather than trading him to the Cowboys last offseason. Acho warned Pickens about the dangers of injuries.
“He did his end of the bargain, and now the Cowboys wanna franchise tag him,” Acho said. “You get franchise-tagged once and you accept it, why would they not franchise tag you again? … Playing on this tag, you mess up an ankle, you mess up a hamstring, you mess up a quad, you mess up anything, that money that you were gonna get? It might not be there again.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Ex-NFL LB Not Sold on George Pickens Playing for Cowboys Ever Again
