Before the start of the 2025 NFL season, the Dallas Cowboys brought in George Pickens through a blockbuster trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers to serve as the No. 2 wide receiver option behind superstar pass-catcher CeeDee Lamb.
Now four weeks into the season, the door is open for Pickens to take over the role of Dak Prescott’s leading WR option after Lamb suffered a high-ankle sprain early in Week 3’s loss to the Chicago Bears.
While the 26-year-old wideout has yet to be officially ruled out for Sunday’s Week 4 matchup against the Green Bay Packers, he’s was listed as DNP (did not participate) in each practice this week and he’s expected to be sidelined for multiple weeks.
Pickens was asked about Lamb’s upcoming absence during media availability on Friday.
“You can tell a person that’s missing,” Pickens said. “But we’ve always got to show up for Dak — all the other receivers as well. We’re just trying to stay on the same page, and hoping [Lamb’s] recovery goes well.”
While the Cowboys will certainly miss Lamb’s elite production, Pickens is looking forward to the challenge laid out in front of him.
“Oh, it’s a great opportunity,” Pickens continued. “I already kind of showcase, but I just want to show up for Dak, and show for the team and get a dub. … I just have to make plays, run the right routes and, you know, show up for Dak.”
Pickens, a second-round pick of the Steelers in 2022, spent the first three seasons of his NFL career in Pittsburgh. Through 48 games with the Steelers, the former Georgia Bulldog reeled in 174 catches for 2,841 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Through the first three games of his Cowboys tenure, Pickens has 13 catches for 166 yards and two touchdowns, and his production is expected to spike as the team’s interim WR1.
Pickens and the Cowboys will face off against the Green Bay Packers in a primetime matchup on Sunday night. That highly-anticipated “Sunday Night Football” contest will kickoff at 8:20 p.m. ET.
