FORT WORTH, Texas — Amari Cooper’s unwillingness to take a shot, Michael Gallup’s ACL, and the “presence” of Ryan Flournoy, Jalen Brooks and Jalen Tolbert forced the Cowboys to bring in a person who could emasculate Brian Schottenheimer long before Jerry does.

George Pickens was not going to eat up Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin because he does not suffer fools, talent be damned. That organization has limits.

The Dallas Cowboys are owned by Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Jones, whose definition of “limits” is as flexible as a gold-medal winning Olympic gymnast.

Among the Google’s worth of red flags on Boy George’s resume, at the top of the page is that the Steelers wanted him anywhere but in Pittsburgh. History says when the Steelers are done with wide receivers, they’re finished.

Once Antonio Brown, Mike Wallace, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Dionte Johnson, Martavis Bryant, Santonio Holmes and Chase Claypool left Pittsburgh for other teams, they were mostly cooked.

The Cowboys acquiring Pickens for two draft picks has a distinct Terrell Owens vibe. Unlike in 2006, when Jerry signed the free-agent Omen child and shoved him on coach Bill Parcells, this time they had no choice but to hit the “We Are Desperate Because We Really Screwed Up This Position” button.

They could not repeat at this position what they did last season and convince anyone not on the other team but their own that they are trying to score touchdowns.

The only prayer this works is not whether the first-time head coach controls the situation. He can’t. Dak Prescott is the highest paid quarterback in the league, and in 2025 he will earn all of his pennies, nickels and dimes as he is forced to include “Baby Sitter” on his list of responsibilities.

The Cowboys’ Terrell Owens standard

Jerry signed the perpetually “misunderstood” malcontent Owens in March of 2006. Owens put up Hall of Fame numbers with San Francisco and Philadelphia while being a first ballot, gold jacket pain in the butt.

“We understand the signing opens the door to scrutiny,” Jerry said the day they introduced T.O. “My best gambles are when I take gambles with quality. This is an outstanding football player.”

In his first two seasons, Owens produced and the Cowboys went to the playoffs in both seasons. After the ‘08 season, his skills clearly sliding, the Cowboys cut Owens in the famous meeting where Jerry used a pen and paper to describe the decision.

“Unfortunately we have this bigger thing up here,” Jerry told Owens and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus. “Unfortunately I’ve got to make the decision for what’s right for something a lot bigger than you, a lot bigger than me, and a lot bigger than our relationship. It’s time for us to part ways business wise.”

Team president Stephen Jones defended the signing because of Owens’ production, and “We won a lot of games with him,” he said.

With Owens, the Cowboys were 29-17, and 0-2 in the playoffs.

The unsettling similarities between Owens and Pickens

When the Cowboys introduced Owens, he said, “I know what it is expected of me. I won’t let you down.

“I’m going to put those things behind me. They can only make a man stronger, wiser. For me, that’s what it’s done. I’ll be a better teammate, a better person, a better man in life. I’m looking forward to this opportunity.”

On Thursday, Pickens was on a conference call with Dallas-Fort Worth reporters and said, “I’m where my feet are at. I can’t even really think about the past. I’m just glad to be a Cowboy. ...

“Everyone is working on growing and bettering their selves. I feel like growth, for me, is taking a great direction in me coming to the Cowboys.”

Like Owens, nothing Pickens has done is criminal. He’s an immature diva with a temper; a person that, as Tomlin said last season, “Needs to grow up.”

When Owens came to the Cowboys, he was 33 and an enabled man surrounded by sycophants; he had morphed from a humble obscure college player to an All-Pro. A player that a Cowboys assistant coach, who had been with Owens both in San Francisco and the Cowboys, described as “A selfish jerk. Just a complete (blank).”

As the late Terry Glenn said of his then teammate, “T.O. loves the drama.” Once a week at his locker Owens would say every combination of words in the English language that would result in a headline that most teams would hate. Owens blamed the media, never himself.

It was sideline, locker room and huddle behavior that teams found exhausting. The type of behaviors that Pittsburgh felt made Pickens no longer worth it.

Why Pickens will be the “quarterback’s issue” in Dallas

In Owens’ first season with the Cowboys, Parcells would not say Owens’ name. Parcells never wanted him, and did everything in his power to ignore him. The next coach, Wade Phillips, a self-described “softy,” did not have it in him to confront anything about his team.

The person these types of personalities fall on are the quarterback.

Owens had issues in San Francisco with quarterback Jeff Garcia, and in Philadelphia it was Donovan McNabb.

Cowboys veteran quarterback Drew Bledsoe, who had endorsed the team bringing in Owens, had a hard time knowing what the receiver was going to do on a given route. Bledsoe was benched in favor for Tony Romo in the sixth game of the season, and for a year and a half, T.O. “worked out.”

Romo had his issues with Owens, too, namely the receiver refused to “give his eyes;” T.O. never put himself in a position where he may get hit.

In 2008, Owens was 35 and no longer dominant. He was a problem. He blamed offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, Romo and tight end Jason Witten for devising schemes that excluded him.

Unlike Owens, who had Pro Bowlers throwing him the ball, Pickens’ passers were Bust, Backup, and Washed. He’s had Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, Mason Rudolph, Russell Wilson and Justin FIelds as his quarterback.

Dak Prescott will be the first quarterback that Pickens will play with who has scene control. Dak has successfully managed his two “personality” receivers — Dez Bryant and CeeDee Lamb.

Doesn’t mean there haven’t been moments, but it’s not a problem.

When former Cowboys offensive linemen Zack Martin and Tyron Smith held their retirement press conferences this spring, each made a point to commend Dak. This wasn’t for show. Whatever you think of Prescott as a passer, as a leader and a pro’ he is revered.

Pickens is only 24, and on the final year, or two, of his original rookie contract. If he wants the monster second NFL contract, he will have to eliminate the reasons why the Steelers traded him.

The Cowboys have done this before, and while Owens is a Hall of Fame player, Pickens may want to avoid what made T.O. a first ballot, gold jacket pain in the butt

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