Cowboys receiver George Pickens was rewarded with a great contract year by being held back from getting a fair market deal. This year, he’s playing under the franchise tag — with a second tag pending if he has another great season.
Although his targets per game and catches in six games in 2026 are roughly comparable to his 17-game averages in 2025 (8.66 targets and 5.5 catches in 2026 vs. 8.05 and 5.47 in 2025), his yards per game are down (71.2 yards per game and 71.2 yards per game in 2025). 2025). He has just one 100-yard game and just one touchdown this year. (In 2025, he had five 100-yard games and nine touchdowns.)
Meanwhile, questions have been raised about Pickens’ effort, especially when the ball isn’t coming his way. Coach Brian Schottenheimer addressed the issue in a Thursday session with the media.
“I think GP is one of those guys where I don’t ever see him really get affected as far as the emotion of, ‘Does he get the ball? Doesn’t he get the ball?'” Schottenheimer said of Pickens, via ESPN’s Todd Archer . “Those guys play a lot of snaps. I think part of it is we rotate those guys, but he’s got to understand that he affects us in the run game as well. And he’s got to do the same thing in the run game, pick the safeties and block the corners like Javonte (Williams) does, pick up the team’s tackles and understand most of the team’s possessions. And when he’s going, they’re going to be set. on his side when he won’t go, then the safeties get pretty good runs on the back this needs to be improved.
Schottenheimer has been instrumental in getting the most out of Pickens during his time in Dallas. And it’s a calculated risk to call it out publicly.
That said, messages like this are often sent through the media when attempts to address the situation privately have not worked.
Regardless, Pickens (like other big receivers) wants the ball. In July, Tom Brady explained the unique mindset of the receiver position, where players are on an island and isolated from the action unless they are receiving the ball.
If the Cowboys are going to have both Pickens and CeeDee Lamb, they need to find a way to get them both involved, early and often. Like other great receivers of the past, failing to find a way to get the ball in their hands will eventually have an impact on their overall attitude.
