Prescott and Lamb Back Pickens as Trade Talk Swirls

Two Dallas players want George Pickens to stay. With the NFL trade deadline on Nov. 10, quarterback Dak Prescott and receiver CeeDee Lamb both pushed back on talk that the Cowboys could move him.

An offense looking for a spark

Dallas is 3-5, and its offense has been inconsistent. Pickens, 25, is playing out the 2026 season on the franchise tag. CBS Sports suggests an early fix: put plays that feature Pickens on Schottenheimer's call sheet for the start of a game.

Prescott said the sequencing of starters and the opening script will be worked out later in the week.

Where the talk came from

After the 23-13 loss at Green Bay, coach Brian Schottenheimer called out Pickens' run blocking. Dallas had run for just 48 yards, a season low. CBS Sports says the way Schottenheimer has used Pickens since then has fed the talk as much as the criticism.

Since Week 7, Lamb leads in offensive snaps with 106. Over the past two games, the No. 3 receiver, Ryan Flournoy, has 98 snaps to Pickens' 79. Lamb has 23 targets in recent weeks, and Pickens has 10 to Flournoy's eight. The team ties some of that to shoulder and hamstring injuries. Entering Week 9 against the Colts, Pickens is listed only with a hamstring injury.

Last year Pickens' 1,429 receiving yards ranked third in the NFL. This season his 533 yards rank 16th.

What the teammates said

According to CBS Sports, if the decision were up to Prescott and Lamb, Pickens would stay and also get a new deal once he becomes eligible in the 2027 offseason.

Asked on Thursday about those who want a trade, Prescott said people say a lot of things he does not believe, so he is not listening. "George is a great teammate," he said, adding that Pickens will do whatever is asked, including blocking, and believes the ball will come his way at times. In Prescott's view, that is not on Pickens.

Lamb said he does not understand why the trade talk exists. "I don't know why that's a thing," he said. He credits Pickens for his own strong start to 2026. Lamb ranks third in the league in catches with 60 and in receiving yards with 709. He is tied for second in receiving touchdowns with six.

Lamb is Pickens' closest friend on the team and is trying to keep his spirits up. He says Pickens should be ready when his time comes and should not dwell on what just happened. He should move on, come to practice ready to work and use the memory of a good feeling as fuel.

Source: CBS Sports