When the Cowboys acquired wide receiver George Pickens back in early May, much was made about how he would force opposing defenses to choose between him and CeeDee Lamb. Whichever one DBs would double up on, the theory went, the other would be able to go off.
Thanks to an ankle injury, Lamb was in street clothes for Week 4’s primetime meeting with the Packers. That made who to focus on a ridiculously easy choice for Green Bay’s secondary. But Pickens made them pay anyway.
The former second-round draft pick put up a monster night in the 40-40 overtime tie, and may have gone a long way in rewriting the narrative that has largely followed him since his mercurial days in Pittsburgh.
“No surprises, honestly,” Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott said in his postgame press conference. “Super proud of him. He played just as I expected him to play.”
“He had that type of week in practice,” head coach Brian Schottenheimer echoed to media members late Sunday night. “When CeeDee went out last week, I think it was kind of like, ‘Whoa, where’s my guy? Where’s my buddy?’ The Mario Brothers, right? And man, he just had a great week of practice, and they didn’t have an answer for him.”
On a night when he was the uncontested top option in his team’s passing attack, Pickens still posted one of the best outings of his three-plus pro seasons: 11 targets (just one shy of his career best), eight receptions (tying his personal high), 134 receiving yards (his second-biggest game ever), and only his second multi-touchdown game as a pro.
“Trying to make plays for Dak, with CeeDee being out,” Pickens told reporters after Sunday’s tie went final. He certainly did that, despite not being targeted at all until well into the second quarter.
“With CeeDee being out, they’re definitely looking at me to get me the ball,” he continued, “and it can come whenever it comes.”
His contested catch of a deep ball over two Packers defenders in the final minute before halftime was a huge play, helping to set up the team’s first touchdown.
George Pickens doing George Pickens things
GBvsDAL on NBC
Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/E30tGkllVl— NFL (@NFL) September 29, 2025
“That’s what he’s done,” Prescott said of Pickens beating the double coverage. “Look at his film, look at his résumé, whether it’s just been in the months that he’s been here or the time he had in Pittsburgh, that’s what he does. That’s who he is.”
Pickens followed it up with a scoring grab 40 seconds later to give Dallas an unlikely lead at the break.
“He’s not missed a beat,” the quarterback acknowledged, “and he’s getting better.”
Four games in under the Dallas offense, Pickens is already among the league’s leaders in the primary receiving categories: top-20 in catches heading into Monday Night Football, top-15 in targets, and top-10 in yards. And only two receivers have more touchdowns than Pickens’s four.
That speaks to the obvious chemistry that’s already developed between Pickens and Prescott in under five months.
“I feel like it’s a lot of trust,” Pickens said of the connection. “And I feel like what I can control is me as a playmaker; that’s going to make him trust me more.”
Delivering highlight-reel results in do-or-die moments is one thing. But Prescott was quick to also call out what Pickens- who, by all accounts, wore out his Steelers welcome with temper tantrums and bad-diva behavior- is bringing to the team even when the ball is not in the air.
“What I was most impressed about is just the way that he was focused and locked in in the game, the whole game,” Prescott explained. “Not only just locked in, doing everything that he needed to do and do it right, but just the conversations he’s having in the huddle, uplifting other guys, saying the right things to keep guys focused and keep guys staying in the moment and being present. And not only was he saying it, he was doing it himself and being an example, made play after play, big play after play to give us a chance.”
Case in point: Pickens’s clutch catch and run to the end zone to put the Cowboys up with what seemed like a game-winner with less than a minute remaining in regulation.
ARE YOU KIDDING GEORGE
📺: #GBvsDAL on NBC
📲: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/RmDxAeCG4Mpic.twitter.com/TVN0U3MMg4— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) September 29, 2025
It would turn out to not be a nail in the Packers’ coffin, but that certainly wasn’t the fault of Pickens.
And while Cowboys Nation will no doubt be thrilled to get Lamb back as the other half of its twin terrors at wide receiver, Pickens has already endeared himself to the team’s faithful, happy to see Prescott with more than just one go-to weapon for a change.
But any talk about Pickens in 2025 comes with a nagging little voice in the background, offering a reminder that the 24-year-old is on just a one-year deal and likely looking to secure a massive payday in free agency next offseason.
A night like Sunday will sure help Pickens make his case when the time comes.
“I’d probably just say being a great receiver,” he said. “Just, no matter where I go or where I land, me- myself, George Pickens- is a great receiver. I feel like that’s what I showed people.”
Maybe that new contract comes from the Cowboys, maybe from a team where he’ll be the unchallenged WR1. But for now, Pickens is breathing new life into his own career… as well as the Dallas air attack.
Follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: WR George Pickens makes most of night as Cowboys’ top option
