George Pickens respectfully but also brutally slams key Giants players with quote that adds fuel to Week 1 fire
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens is already having some fun heading into Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season by taking aim at the New York Giants secondary.
It’s a big year for George Pickens and it starts with him facing the best cornerback room in the NFL. Well, not quite.
But if you ask New York Giants cornerback Greg Newsome, that is indeed the case. Newsome recently told the media he believes the Giants have the best cornerback room in the league. That’s quite the statement for what our own A to Z Sports New York’s Joe DeLeone calls the “most unsettled position” on the Giants.
Pickens was asked about Newsome’s statement leading up to Sunday Night Football’s showdown between the two NFC East rivals, and delivered a hilarious yet respectful jab that brings some new life into the rivalry.
Pickens respectfully roasts Giants secondary
“That’s definitely how he should feel,” Pickens said of Newsome’s comments via The Athletic’s Jon Machota. “Now, how we should feel, I’d definitely say a completely different story. That’s cool that he thinks that. He should definitely feel like that, but I feel like we’re definitely not thinking the same thing.”
Quite the friendly alternative to deliver the same message Pickens went viral for on a mic’d up moment last season: Nice try, buddy.
It’s a hilarious quote by Pickens, who has kept things professional in interviews since arriving at Dallas. Though he kept it respectful, you can see the playfulness behind his message. It’s almost like he said “that’s cute.”
Now it’s up to Pickens and Cowboys to back things up on the field
The Giants are expected to start Newsome and Deonte Banks at outside corner. Under a different coaching staff and starting lineup, the Giants ranked 19th in dropback EPA/play allowed in 2025, via RBSDM.
Though it’s really tough to buy into Newsome’s belief of the Giants having a top cornerbck room, it’s easy to buy into the Cowboys WR room. Pickens received All-Pro honors in 2025 and Lamb has remained one of the best wide receivers in the NFL for a few years now.
What Pickens does expect from the Giants defense (and offense) is physicality.
“I feel John Harbaugh, [physicality] is one of the biggest things he likes to harp on, just him personally,” Pickens said about Harbaugh, who he faced twice a year while he was in Pittsburgh via Tommy Yarrish. “Just be physical, and I feel when he drives that notion through the guys that he’s got on his team, I feel like they’re going to come out and be a physical group.”
It’s a big game for the Cowboys. And Pickens is expected to be a big reason why they win ballgames in 2026. We’ll see how he does against the league’s self-proclaimed best cornerback group.
