When the Dallas Cowboys acquired him in the 2025 offseason, there were some high expectations for the wide receiver George Pickens, as Dallas desperately needed a complement to CeeDee Lamb.
Those expectations were met early, as Pickens was among the league leaders in receiving yards at times this season. However, a drop-off in production over the final month of the season has been evident, as Pickens is off to another slow start against the New York Giants in Week 18.
What Happened to Dallas Cowboys WR George Pickens?
No, Pickens is not hurt and is not sitting out for the Cowboys’ Week 18 matchup against the Giants. In fact, the fourth-year wideout has played in all 17 games for Dallas this season. Unfortunately, disappearing acts in Weeks 14 and 15 killed the offense’s momentum and contributed to the death of the Cowboys’ 2025 playoff aspirations.
In matchups against the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings, Pickens caught eight of 15 targets for 70 yards. He bounced back the next two weeks, catching seven passes for 130 yards and a touchdown against the Chargers in Week 16, and gained 78 yards on four catches in Week 17 against the Washington Commanders.
Unfortunately, he was not able to maintain that consistency against New York in Week 18, being virtually silenced in the first half. Despite quarterback Dak Prescott targeting him three times, the most for all Dallas pass catchers, Pickens was only able to haul in one for nine yards as the Cowboys face a 16-10 halftime deficit.
Abdul Carter splits the double team and gets pressure on Dak that draws the holding — Rico Payton with the PBU on George Pickens for the 4th down stop. #Giants pic.twitter.com/jDtFa8pT0t
— The Giants Report (@GiantsReport1) January 4, 2026
Despite a disappointing defensive performance this season, the offense has been firing on all cylinders in 2025. According to PFSN’s Offense Impact Metric, the Cowboys’ offense ranked fourth in the NFL, with an impact score of 85.5.
Despite his late-season struggles, Pickens is still in the top five of PFSN’s WR Impact metric, ranking third overall with an impact score of 89.4. With Lamb ranking 10th overall with an impact score of 83.1, the Cowboys have the highest-rated duo according to WRi by far.
Entering Week 18, Pickens had caught 92 of 134 targets for 1,420 yards and nine touchdowns. Getting Pickens and Lamb more involved in the offense in the second half will be big as the Cowboys attempt a second-half comeback. However, with Dallas’ coaching staff starting Joe Milton for the first drive of the third quarter, it will be interesting to see their strategy with the rest of their players in the second half.
