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George Pickens #3 of the Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are coming off a disappointing loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 13, which is a loss that has really hurt the team’s chances of being playoff bound this season, with America’s Team now sitting with a record of 6-6-1 heading into Week 14’s matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.
Along with the team taking a step back after winning three straight games, the spotlight has been put on star wide receiver George Pickens for all the wrong reasons, as many took aim at his poor effort and performance against the Lions.
Cowboys’ Brian Schottenheimer Opens Up About George Pickens
GettyHead coach Brian Schottenheimer of the Dallas Cowboys
A lot has been made about Pickens’ lackluster effort in a crucial game against the Lions, as the star wideout made headlines after going after former NFL cornerback Richard Sherman, who heavily criticized him after the loss to Detroit.
That situation was addressed by the team and head coach Brian Schottenheimer, who admits he spoke with Pickens. Even though lack of effort is something that drives head coaches in the NFL crazy, as it is inexcusable, Schottenheimer definitely seems to have a soft spot for Pickens, as he made clear during Monday’s media availability.
“I talk to George about a lot of things,” Schottenheimer said. “I’ll keep that between George and I. I love watching the guy play football. I’ll just kind of leave it at that. I think the guy has more fun playing football than most people. I think when we do that, I think that’s usually a recipe when you’re as talented as he is that’s why he can impact games the way he does.”
It’ll be interesting to see what this conversation with Schottenheimer as done for Pickens and his mindset moving forward, as the Cowboys will need him locked in for the rest of the 2025 NFL season if there’s any hopes of clinching a playoff spot in the NFC.
Pickens Comes Clean to Cowboys HC Schottenheimer
GettyGeorge Pickens #3 of the Dallas Cowboys
Perhaps the reason for Schottenheimer not being livid about Pickens’ lack of effort against the Lions was the fact that he admitted to the Cowboys head coach that he didn’t play his best.
Schottenheimer said the following about what Pickens told him after the game against Detroit during Monday’s press conference.
“In his words, he said, ‘Hey Schotty, I didn’t play my best game,’” Schottenheimer said of Pickens. “I think that, unfortunately, none of us played our best game, so that’s reality. But again, I don’t worry about George and his love for football and playing this game. Again, you know for five or six weeks, he was the talk of the sporting world: ‘Look at George Pickens.’ We didn’t coach or play well enough to win that game in Detroit. They beat us. It is what it is.”
Despite a forgettable performance against the Lions, Pickens is having the best season of his NFL career in Dallas while making a strong case to secure a lucrative contract extension with the Cowboys.
He’ll enter Sunday’s game against the Vikings having caught 78 passes for 1,179 receiving yards (3rd in the NFL) and eight touchdowns (tied for 5th).
Ryan Ward is a longtime credentialed writer covering the NBA and NFL. He has over 15 years of experience in the sports industry from writing, editing, social media management and podcasting. He has covered the Lakers and Raiders for Medium Large Sports, with a previous stint at ClutchPoints. Ward is a Los Angeles native from the United Kingdom, who now resides in Colorado.
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