Cowboys deep-threat receiver acquired from Pittsburgh midseason 2025, franchise-tagged for 2026.
George Pickens went to Dallas in an October 2025 trade that included a 2026 second-round pick going to Pittsburgh. He immediately became the Cowboys' big-play complement to CeeDee Lamb, catching 96 passes for 1,429 yards over the partial season. Dallas franchise-tagged him in March 2026 at a $24 million salary.
Path to the league
Georgia receiver whose college career was interrupted by an ACL tear. Steelers took him 52nd overall in 2022. Three seasons in Pittsburgh produced 200 catches and a reputation for one-handed grabs and sideline disputes with teammates.
Career highlights
2025 Pro Bowl. 1,429 receiving yards in a partial Dallas season (third in NFL despite playing 13 games for the Cowboys). 2023 NFL highlight-of-the-year award for a one-handed catch. 4,500-plus career receiving yards.
2025 season and trade
Started the season with 24 catches for 380 yards in seven Steelers games before the deadline-week trade. Dallas paid up because Brandin Cooks had retired and they needed downfield speed. Pickens caught 72 passes for 1,050 yards in 10 Cowboys games and immediately became one of Prescott's preferred end-zone targets.
Sources
- Wikipedia: George Pickens
- Pro Football Reference: George Pickens
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Receiving
17 games played▶Receiving · career
| Year | Team | GP | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | cowboys | 8 | 39 | 533 | 13.7 | 2 | 53 |
| 2025 | cowboys | 17 | 93 | 1,429 | 15.4 | 9 | 45 |
| 2024 | steelers | 14 | 59 | 900 | 15.3 | 3 | 44 |
| 2023 | steelers | 17 | 63 | 1,140 | 18.1 | 5 | 86 |
| 2022 | steelers | 17 | 52 | 801 | 15.4 | 4 | 42 |
▶Rushing · career
| Year | Team | GP | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | steelers | 14 | 2 | -6 | -3.0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2023 | steelers | 17 | 3 | 18 | 6.0 | 0 | 16 |
| 2022 | steelers | 17 | 3 | 24 | 8.0 | 1 | 22 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Wide Receiver
- Group
- offense
- College
- Georgia
- Hometown
- Hoover, AL, USA
- Age
- 25
- Status
- active
Latest news about George Pickens
All news →Packers Beat Cowboys 23-13 in Week 6
Green Bay Packers 23, Dallas Cowboys 13 at Lambeau Field. Jordan Love went 23 of 41 for 276 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception.
Buccaneers Beat Cowboys 24-16 in Week 5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24, Dallas Cowboys 16 at AT&T Stadium. Jalon Daniels went 19 of 25 for 189 yards with 1 touchdown.
Cowboys Extend Tight End Brevyn Spann-Ford and Receiver Ryan Flournoy
Spann-Ford, an undrafted find from 2024, gets three years and $18 million through 2029; Flournoy, cut before last season and now the No. 3 receiver, gets a one-year deal worth up to $6 million.
Cowboys Enter Camp Fully Healthy for First Time in Years as Pickens Stays 'Dialed In'
Dallas has no players on the PUP or non-football injury lists, and George Pickens is drawing praise for his focus even while playing on a $27.3M franchise tag.
Deadline Passes: George Pickens Will Play 2026 on the Cowboys' $27.3M Franchise Tag
Dallas never opened long-term talks, so the receiver plays out the tag and heads toward free agency in 2027.
George Pickens Shows Up for Cowboys Minicamp, Says He's Fine Playing on the Franchise Tag
The receiver skipped the voluntary work but reported for mandatory minicamp without hesitation, and Brian Schottenheimer liked what he saw.
