FRISCO, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb have publicly rejected trade speculation surrounding teammate George Pickens ahead of the NFL's November 10 trade deadline. Pickens, 25, is playing the 2026 season on the franchise tag.
"People say a lot of things I don't believe, so I'm not listening to that one, either," Prescott said Thursday when asked about suggestions that Pickens should be traded. Lamb, who ranks third in the NFL in catches (60), third in receiving yards (709), and tied for second in receiving touchdowns (six) this season, credited Pickens for his own strong start. "I don't know why that's a thing," Lamb said. "Everything that I have been able to accomplish has been because of him and what he's done the year before."
Pickens recorded 1,429 receiving yards in 2025, ranking third in the league, but has 533 yards through 2026, placing 16th. Trade talk intensified after head coach Brian Schottenheimer criticized Pickens' run blocking following a Week 7 loss to the Green Bay Packers, where Dallas managed a season-low 48 rushing yards. Since Week 7, Lamb leads the team with 106 offensive snaps, while third receiver Ryan Flournoy has 98 snaps compared to Pickens' 79. Lamb also leads in targets (23) over that span, with Pickens (10) only slightly ahead of Flournoy (8). The team has cited shoulder and hamstring injuries for Pickens' reduced role; entering Week 9 against the Indianapolis Colts, he is listed with a hamstring injury.
Prescott defended Pickens' attitude: "George is a great teammate. He's gonna do whatever is asked, he's going to do whatever is called. If it's to go block, if it's to just go run a guy off, he's going to do that." Lamb added that he encourages Pickens to stay ready: "When that moment comes, you can't really go off of what just happened... Use that as fuel."
Prescott suggested the coaching staff could feature Pickens early in games to revive his production. "I think if anything is going to really come on this later end of the week and just how we sequence up the starters and the plays... you'll see," he said.
