For the second week in a row, the Dallas Cowboys will be entering a matchup for which they are not sure they will have George Pickens on hand. Last week, there was some optimism that Pickens would be able to take the field despite a persistent hamstring injury, but he ultimately sat out the narrow, 27-23 win, a game rescued with a late comeback by quarterback Dak Prescott. This week, he has been limited in practice again on both Wednesday and Thursday, leaving his status questionable for Week 10. Of course, the big difference there is that the Cowboys played the lowly Colts in Week 9–and have the NFL-best 49ers in Week 10.
What if Pickens can’t go? Prescott pointed to WR3 Ryan Flournoy, and said others–Jonathan Mingo among them–are prepared to step forward. The Cowboys could call on UDFA rookie Jordan Hudson, too, who had a deep pass thrown his way in Week 9, though it was incomplete.
“We put in the plays for him to play and we’ve got guys that will be able to be ready to step up,” Prescott said. “(Ryan Flournoy) is showing (with) what he’s done and the rest of the guys are itching to get an opportunity if that’s what it comes to.”
Cowboys, Dak Prescott Have Struggled With 49ers
Prescott is hopeful, certainly, that Pickens is available on Sunday because the Cowboys need everyone they’ve got to have a chance against San Francisco. It would be meaningful for Prescott, because the 49ers have been tough on him in his career. He has lost two playoff games to San Francisco, and lost his last two outings to them by a combined 72-34, two games in which Prescott threw five interceptions.
But Prescott knows that this team, here in 2026, badly needs this win: “I want to beat them absolutely, and I’m not naive to what’s happened or my history against them. But to put that on the rest of these guys or put that on the locker room, I think that’s stupid.
“This is about us going in and getting a win and us trying to win this game and get some momentum going and get back-to-back wins for the first time this season and build off of that. And so what a great opportunity to do it against a 7-1 team. It just so happens that it’d be the Niners. So yeah, obviously I want to get a win and everybody and anybody in this building does for sure a bunch of different reasons. But at the end of the day, it’s a 7-1 team coming in here and we’ve got an opportunity to beat them.”
Kickoff at AT&T Stadium will be a 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Cowboys’ Dak Prescott Reveals Plans for George Pickens Injury