FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys (2-2) offense is humming again in the first quarter of the 2026 season.
Their offense led by Dak Prescott’s 30.5 points per game, and the most points per drive (3.39) in the league. Naturally, Prescott’s numbers are elite: he ranks fifth in the league in EPA per dropback (0.24), fourth in completion percentage (70%), seventh in passing yards (1,065), tied for seventh in passing touchdowns (eight) and tied for seventh in passer rating (105.0).
CeeDee Lamb was on the receiving end of much of that production, leading the league in catches (37), receiving yards (498) and receiving first downs (28). Those 498 yards receiving were the most through the first four games of a season in Cowboys history. But what about George Pickens?
Pickens has been a statistical casualty of Dallas defenses leading the Cowboys to a league-low 36 drives this season. In 2026, playing alongside a healthy Lamb, Pickens has 225 yards receiving and no touchdowns on 18 catches through four weeks while averaging a career-low 12.5 yards per reception so far. Still, Pickens is as important as ever if you ask the Cowboys.
“I think if you look at George last year, I don’t know, you can look for it. I don’t think he’s putting up crazy numbers even until week four, five, six, whatever it is, because I think it’s when CeeDee comes out, but George is learning the system as well. George easily had three catches for 180 yards in that game. [on Sunday in the 34-30 win at the Houston Texans],” coach Brian Schottenheimer said. “He really can. He catches one with his eyes closed, and he opens people up all the time.”
Pickens’ role in the 2026 Cowboys offense, often, is that of the sacrificial lamb (pun intended) or field stretcher to open things up in the intermediate areas of the field. Pickens has run 45 go routes this season, the second-highest frequency in the league behind only DK Metcalf’s 47 per TruMedia. Despite his high number of vertical routes deep down the field, Prescott maintains that they don’t decoy Pickens over and over again, even though that may appear to the eye.
“He’s pulling two guys on him almost all the time, and I don’t know if he’s getting guys off,” Prescott said. “Those are all real routes, and if you want to leave one guy on them, I’m going to throw it to him. So that’s just making the defense show us what they want to do. When we’re sending them deep, as I said, if it’s going to be one-on-one, I’m going to throw it down there [to Pickens]. If not, you need to get another guy with her. and that gives us a numbers advantage.”
Prescott was true to his word Sunday as Pickens finished with 75 yards receiving on two catches. His first catch of the day came over left-center field for a 53-yard gain at 10:43 in the third quarter. The big play moved the Dallas offense from their own 36 to the Texans’ 11. Nine plays later, Javonte Williams was in the end zone for one of his three rushing touchdowns that cut the Houston lead down to three, 23-20.
When Dallas acquired Pickens in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers, many looked at him as cranky after he appeared furious about not getting the football while the Steelers revolved around a revolving door of passers. His behavior has been anything but behavior in Dallas. Some of that had to do with the knowledge that the Cowboys were trying to get him the football. Schottenheimer admitted he had a double move called for Pickens where he was the No. 1 option on a play, but Prescott is hit in the pocket and can’t get the throw downfield at that moment. What did Pickens do? He laughed at it. Conceding just three targets to Lamb’s 21 on Sunday didn’t bother him either because that was Dallas’ path to victory.
“It’s different if we’re not giving him chances or trying, and if defenses aren’t just respecting him and getting away from him,” Prescott said. “So he’s a guy who’s smart, understands the game of football and he knows when defenses play him that way, the opportunity it gives other guys. So he’s a hell of a teammate, and I said that. … That’s [Pickens’ attitude] shows a guy who celebrates everyone’s success who obviously wants success, but as long as the team is winning and he’s doing his job, he’s happy. We couldn’t be more thankful for guys like that and guys with that attitude.”
So, when is Pickens’ turn? It could come as soon as tonight under the primetime lights at AT&T Stadium when the Cowboys host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-4) on “Thursday Night Football.”
“What I’ll say about George is, if you blink, you’ll go [have] enter 150 [on you],” Schottenheimer said. “There’s no doubt about that one, but the greatest thing about George Pickens is that nobody was happier in that locker room after a win than George Pickens, nobody. It tells you what a charming personality he is, how much he loves playing football.”