FRISCO, Texas — For years, the Dallas Cowboys have been the Dak Prescott to CeeDee Lamb show, but the arrival of explosive wide receiver George Pickens in an offseason trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers changed the team’s offensive calculus.
Pickens, at the age of 24 and in his fourth NFL season, is soaring to new heights in Dallas with a career-high six receiving touchdowns through eight games played as a key cog for the Cowboys’ second-ranked scoring offense that is averaging 30.8 points per game. He’s also expanded his game. In Pittsburgh, he was almost exclusively a vertical threat deep down the sideline. In Dallas, the Cowboys have moved Pickens all around the formation, especially during Lamb’s three-game absence because of a sprained ankle. That’s how his 115 yards on slant routes rank as the second-most in the entire NFL, just one yard behind league leader Ja’Marr Chase (116 yards on slants this season). As a result, Prescott is playing MVP-caliber football again, ranking third in the NFL in passing yards (2,069) and tied for third in the league in passing touchdowns (16).
“He just makes my job easy just from how much space he can create and how well he gets open and the ability to not even have 50-50 type jump balls. We know there’s more 70-30 if not higher because of the penalty opportunities thrown in there,” Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott said Thursday. “He’s a special player. The scheme part with [Brian Schottenheimer] Schotty and the guys are doing a hell of a job moving him around. The time that CeeDee was gone, we got to see that he’s not just an outside player, and he’s not a boundary player. You can put him in the slot. You can move him wherever you need to. He’s taken all that responsibility on and asked for more and he’s going to continue to do well in the positions that we put him in because that’s just the kind of guy he is.”
Dallas owner and general manager Jerry Jones said the Cowboys front office needs to think “about having some room available” to re-sign Pickens, who is set to become a free agent next offense. Does Jones view Pickens as a special enough player to engage him or his representation on in-season contract extension talks? Not yet, but he wouldn’t mind remaining a Cowboys long term. Dallas should make a strong push to re-sign Pickens to keep their offensive fireworks (30.8 points per game, second-best in the NFL) going for years to come.
“No, no, no not so far, but like I said, me personally, I’m just trying to get a dub,” Pickens said when asked about if contract talks with Jones had begun. “Trying to stack victories and trying to get us to the playoffs,” Pickens said. “Win, win, win honestly. … I wouldn’t mind [re-signing with Dallas]. I wouldn’t mind, definitely … That’s kind of up to what he [Jerry Jones] wants to do. All I can do is perform at my best.”
Both Prescott (four years, $240 million) and Lamb (four years, $136 million) have successfully negotiated and re-signed long-term deals to remain in Dallas recently.
Lamb’s advice to Pickens about handling negotiations with Jones is simple: stay positive.
“Stay positive man. Stay positive,” Lamb said of negotiation with Jones. “Your money is gonna come.”
|
Catches |
43 |
T-11th |
|
Receiving Yards |
685 |
3rd |
|
Receiving TD |
6 |
T-3rd |
|
Receiving First Downs |
36 |
T-1st |
|
Catches of 25 or more yards |
8 |
T-2nd |
Pickens’ fast connection with CeeDee Lamb
If it were up to Lamb, he would have re-signed Pickens yesterday not just because of the on-field spacing Pickens provides, but also because of the fast friendship the two have developed.
“Yeah, I absolutely want him to come back. That’s my guy. That’s my man,” Lamb said. “I feel like we’ve grown this bond in a matter of minutes. I understand him. He understands me as a competitor. I want the best for him, whether that’s him making the most money in the NFL at the position or whatever that looks like. But I do want him to win.”
Even though Pickens arrived in Dallas after Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told him to “grow up” after he was flagged for two personal-foul penalties in the middle of the 2024 season, Lamb wants Pickens to continue bringing the demonstrative energy the latter has become known over the course of his four-year career.
“I’m going to let him do his thing. I’m going to let him do his thing. He can’t do any wrong in my eyes, but he knows I told him since Day 1, I got his back,” Lamb said. “I really do, and I believe that he could do no wrong in my eyes. So as far as him being a competitor, I told him ‘bring George, bring GP. Whatever that looks like up there in Pittsburgh and on that field, bring that here. You’re going to control the rest.'”
Lamb’s support of Pickens has even evolved to copying Pickens’ look with his trademark shiesty. Pickens wears it every game, and he went viral for wearing one while standing in front of his living room TV when Pittsburgh drafted him in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Lamb chose to also wear one the last two days at practice, including the one on Wednesday when the team was indoors because of wind.
“OK, look. I wore the shiesty before. I’ve had some good wins with it, but I know that’s GP’s thing,” Lamb said. “We’re going to rock out.”
Early on in his career, Lamb may have enjoyed being Prescott’s clear cut top target, but six seasons into his NFL journey, he welcomes his partnership with Pickens… however long it will end up being.
“Absolutely. … I do enjoy that man. Obviously a guy of his caliber, he’s definitely a one. I look at him as a one,” Lamb said. “His ability to go catch the ball. I learn things from him just as well, vice versa. I feel like we can piggy back off that, and overall, we can grow at this position together. We only have X amount of years together, really in this league. It’s not promised nor is it loyal to anybody. Get as much in, put as much as and let’s do it together. Let’s rock.”
