The Dallas Cowboys looked a lot more like the team they were supposed to be heading into the 2026 season in Week 2 against the Commanders, a 37-20 win in which the offense was aggressive and pass-happy and the defense was improved, if not quite great yet. There was reason to be happy all around, but there odes remain one obvious worry: star receiver George Pickens.
It’s an important year for Pickens because he is playing on a one-year, $27 million franchise tag deal after the Cowboys did not give him a long-term contract last offseason. Pickens will hit free agency again in six months, and he is hoping to bring a clear WR1 resume to the process.
But the Commanders on Sunday pulled a surprise move. They chose to double-team Pickens and leave fellow star CeeDee Lamb in man coverage. That worked out well for Dak Prescott and Lamb–Prescott had four touchdowns and 279 yards passing, and Lamb had eight catches for 153 yards–but not so much for Pickens, who managed six catches but for short gains, totaling 40 yards.
Cowboys Taking What Defense Gives
Now, to be clear, Pickens has not lodged any complaints, and it is worth remembering that he had two drops in Week 1, including one that would have been a deep ball with touchdown potential. Pickens has shown himself to be a team-first guy with the Cowboys, and he will surely say he is happy with the win. But through two games, he has nine catches for 68 yards this season. He had 68 yards or more in 12 of the 17 games he played last year.
Again, Pickens is playing not just for the team here in 2026, but to persuade either the Cowboys or another team to pay him at the top of the market–in the $40 million per year range–in 2027. The numbers he has produced to date are not going to cut it, though it is still early.
‘A Lot of Attention to George Pickens’
Prescott spoke to Cowboys media and indicated that the focus on Lamb to this point has been because that is where the openings have been. If teams continue to double-team Pickens, and they probably won’t, then Lamb and others will have big days.
Said Prescott: “It was just what the defense was giving us. Obviously we’re putting CeeDee in places to get the ball, but so are we for (George Pickens, Jake Ferguson, Ryan Flournoy).
“Those guys are giving a lot of attention to George Pickens right now. I mean both teams we’ve played have. That gives CeeDee the opportunity for some one-on-ones, and he’s going to keep doing what he’s done in these games if they’re going to do that.”
Cowboys’ George Pickens Has Concerning Start in Critical Year