Let’s be honest about the George Pickens situation brewing for the Dallas Cowboys, even if it’s hard to do so
George Pickens’ rise makes it undeniable he is WR1.
Whispers were already getting louder and louder among Dallas Cowboys fans, media members, and content creators. It was a question that was worth asking: Is George Pickens the true No. 1 receiver of the team over CeeDee Lamb?
In Sunday’s win over the Philadelphia Eagles, it’s no longer fair to even question it. Pickens, who put together his second consecutive 140+ yard outing to spark the team’s 24-21 win, has become the player the offense runs through. The offense’s best moments came when Pickens was being targeted. The worst moments came when he wasn’t. When the Eagles went up 21-0, Pickens had one target to his name.
Pickens finished the game with nine catches on nine targets for a total of 146 yards and a touchdown. He was everything you want in a WR1. Following his remarkable performance, Dak Prescott found the perfect way to describe him while vocally suggesting the team needs to extend him in the offseason.
“He’s not from here, he’s not from this planet,” Prescott told reporters. “We’ve got to make sure we can keep him here.”
Should Cowboys prioritize Pickens over CeeDee Lamb?
Now granted, that will be costly. This is no longer about having someone to complement CeeDee Lamb, whom the Cowboys signed to a $136 million deal in 2024. It’s no longer about being a great WR2 like Tee Higgins’ situation with the Cincinnati Bengals and Ja’Marr Chase.
The way Pickens is playing, he’s trending toward becoming the highest-paid WR in football. He’s doing things he didn’t do in Pittsburgh, including dominating the slant route and becoming a master at obtaining yards after the catch.
Can Dallas make a deal that big work? I don’t know, but if the front office treats him as the team’s WR1, difficult conversations will have to be had. That includes potentially prioritizing him over CeeDee Lamb. It’s hard to say, but it’s the truth.
If you decide to keep only one of the two star receivers, it shouldn’t be automatically assumed that it should be Lamb. Right now, Pickens is the best WR on the team. Will that continue if a long-term deal is in place? That’s the hard part of any decision, and what the Cowboys need to figure out.
Preferably, however, it should be all about finding a way to keep both. With all that being said, Lamb needs to be better in these big games.
CeeDee Lamb needs to be better in big games
I hate to be that guy, but we need to have a Lamb conversation. Just like in Week 1 against the same opponent, Lamb had multiple drops facing the Eagles’ defense. At times, he appeared to run the wrong route. Once, it seemed he lost the football in the sun. Even with seven targets to his name, it was largely a no-show kind of performance for him.
For almost three full quarters, this wasn’t a “Pickens went off because the Eagles were doubling Lamb” situation. This was a “Lamb is getting targets but doing nothing with them” situation.
And though Lamb was much better in the third quarter, hauling in a 48-yard bomb from Dak Prescott and later drawing a defensive pass interference in the red zone, he had another drop in the end zone for what would have been the lead. Lamb was a big reason why Dallas found itself in a 21-0 hole early, and he kept the Cowboys from going up 28-21 with under five minutes left. That can’t happen.
Dallas Cowboys News
Jalen Tolbert’s future with the Dallas Cowboys becomes significantly blurrier with latest gameday decision
Not looking great.
