The Dallas Cowboys suffered a tough defeat to the Detroit Lions on Thursday night. Immediately after that game, former NFL cornerback and current analyst Richard Sherman wasted no time in placing the blame squarely on the shoulders of Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens.
Pickens responded in an NSFW fashion and that has led many to suggest that the Pittsburgh Steelers made the right move in trading him and that things like this are predictable where Pickens is concerned. That seems to be a bit much.
There is no doubt that Pickens has been on the wrong side of some negativity throughout his career and Sherman does have a point in that Pickens wasn't giving full effort throughout the game. Pickens did discuss things like double teams and bracket coverage in his response and that Sherman should understand how that works.
All of that aside, there is absolutely no doubt that the Cowboys are better off with Pickens than they would be without him. He is an incredible athlete who is capable of making some of the best catches in the NFL. He is able to create separation and is a problem with the ball in his hands, able to break tackles and rack up yards after the catch.
The threat of having him and CeeDee Lamb on the field together is what has made the Cowboys' offense so dynamic this season. That is why it should be a complete no-brainer for the team to re-sign him this offseason.
Pickens was in the final year of his deal when he was traded over from Pittsburgh this offseason. Spotrac currently estimates a deal for him in 2026 to be worth $31 million annually, which is a hefty price to pay, but it's a decision Jerry Jones has to get right.
Jones seems to find himself in this situation every offseason. Before the 2025 season kicked off, he made the very controversial decision to trade Micah Parsons rather than to pay him more. He seems to have overcome some of that with the trade to acquire Quinnen Williams (as well as to get Kenny Clark in the Parsons deal), but it was still a wildly unpopular move, and for good reason.
Teams used to have to deal with some drama with Terrell Owens back in the day, but he always performed and he is now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Pickens comes with some of that, too, but his ability on the field cannot be questioned, nor can his importance to this team.
Jones must recognize that and give little to no weight to the kinds of remarks made by Sherman.
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