With eleven returning starters, the Dallas Cowboys’ offense growth is capped. But George Pickens, even after a career season, brings a chance at improvement. At least if the biggest mystery surrounding him is resolved in a positive way. 

The biggest question surrounding Pickens ahead of Week 1 isn’t if he will produce or not. The expectation is that he will. Frankly, we have no reasons to believe otherwise. The real mystery is whether Dallas will follow through on its promise to move Pickens around the formation, and what that means for the Cowboys’ offensive evolution in Year 2 of the Pickens era.

Schottenheimer knows what Pickens wants

ESPN’s Dan Graziano recently provided some insight into what the Cowboys are planning on offense. Here’s what he reported: “Head coach Brian Schottenheimer told me he plans to tweak the Dallas offense about 15 to 25% from last season to keep sophisticated defenses guessing. Part of that equation is moving Pickens around.”

According to Graziano, Schottenheimer admitted he knows Pickens grew frustrated in Pittsburgh “because he was always in one spot. He was always the X.”

The Cowboys plan to move him around more in 2026, as Schottenheimer added: “We move him around a bunch, but the sky is the limit for GP.”

That last part is key. Schottenheimer said “we move him around a bunch.” But what does that really mean?

Moving him around the outside, or into the slot?

There are two ways to interpret Schottenheimer’s comments. The first is that the Cowboys simply flip Pickens from the X (the isolated outside receiver) to the other side, where he’d work closer to CeeDee Lamb from the slot. That alone creates problems for defenses and in many ways, already happened in 2025. 

If you want to bracket wide receivers and get both safeties involved, it’s easier when Pickens and Lamb are on opposite sides. Put them on the same side, and one of the defenders covering them is more likely to end up one-on-one.

The second interpretation is bolder: Schottenheimer actually gets Pickens involved in the slot. On paper, it’s intriguing. In practice, it feels like overthinking it. Lamb is the Cowboys’ best slot receiver. Pickens is their best outside receiver. Maybe you just let them do what they do best.

Consider this, though. During his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pickens grew frustrated playing exclusively at the X. Among 92 qualifying wide receivers according to Pro Football Focus last season, he ranked 91st in percentage of snaps played from the slot. That’s almost none.

Keeping Pickens happy matters

The Cowboys figured out early last season that Pickens can do far more than run vertical routes and win 50-50 balls. He’s a danger with the ball in his hands, a yards-after-catch opportunist who thrives when the offense schemes touches for him on third down and in the red zone. As long as Dallas keeps feeding him in those spots, Pickens shouldn’t have any reason to be frustrated, regardless of whether he lines up in the slot or not.

And that’s where the real question lies. Beyond alignment, how do the Cowboys plan to get Pickens the football?

The bigger picture: What does the 15-25% change look like?

Schottenheimer’s 15 to 25% tweak extends beyond Pickens. Last season, Dallas ran a diverse rushing attack with outside zone concepts, gap schemes, and pulling linemen. The passing game leaned heavily on play-action shots down the field off max protection looks. So where does the change come from?

That’s the part we haven’t figured out yet. Training camp didn’t reveal much, and Pickens didn’t play in the preseason. Week 1 against the Giants will be the first real look at what Schottenheimer has been cooking up.

New York doesn’t quite have the best cornerback room in the NFL, despite what Giants CB Greg Newsome thinks. But the Giants do have a dangerous pass rush, and that will be the Cowboys’ first real test on Sunday Night Football.