Dak Prescott Confirms George Pickens’ New Role in Cowboys Offense & Breaks Silence on Week 1 Eagles Game

The NFL doesn’t always give you a heads-up. Just ask Cam Heyward. When the longtime Steelers captain woke up to news of George Pickens getting traded to the Dallas Cowboys, his surprise was genuine. “I didn’t know anything about it,” Heyward admitted on the Not Just Football podcast. “Was I surprised? Yeah… Would I have liked to see George and DK [Metcalf] play together? Yeah, but hopefully there’s something in the works.” That sense of unfinished business lingers in Pittsburgh. But in Dallas? The work has already begun.

The Cowboys’ pursuit of a true WR2 had been brewing quietly for months. Whispers around The Star turned to talks, and after the draft, Dallas pulled the trigger, sending a third- and fifth-round pick to Pittsburgh in exchange for one of the league’s most physically gifted young receivers. Pickens wasn’t everyone’s ideal teammate in Pittsburgh. His on-field fire sometimes spilled over. Still, in Dallas, his upside outweighs the baggage, especially for a quarterback who’s badly needed another alpha to throw to.

Dak Prescott has seen enough tape to believe this can work. “I’m excited,” he said on The Ticket. “You turn on the tape and you see a guy that can catch the football. You put the football anywhere in his vicinity, very strong hands. More than a 50/50 catcher. He thinks it’s his ball when it’s in the air.” That’s not lip service. Prescott knows what he lost in 2024. A hamstring injury cut his season short after just nine games. He still threw for 23 touchdowns, but Dallas’ aerial attack too often felt one-dimensional, even with CeeDee Lamb’s brilliance.

Prescott didn’t mince words about the roster construction either. “I know we need some help at that position. I know CeeDee needs some help,” he said. With Pickens now flanking Lamb, that changes. The geometry of opposing defenses shifts. “It’s hard to double team two guys,” Prescott added. “Then when you got other guys—Ferg, Jalen Tolbert, Mingo—guys who have had reps and know how to get open… I think we’re putting together a nice group of weapons.”

Pickens isn’t caught up in the WR1 vs. WR2 debate. “You guys making a 1A and 1B and all this, honestly that’s the first time I’ve heard of any of that stuff,” he said earlier this month. “I just feel like we’re going to work off each other very well.” That humility—at least publicly—marks a change from the moody narrative that followed him out of Pittsburgh. And in Dallas, where Prescott is still the centerpiece of the franchise, a willing co-star could be exactly what’s required.

With Lamb drawing bracket coverage and Pickens stretching the field vertically, Prescott may finally have the flexibility to get the ball out quicker, throw with rhythm, and trust his playmakers in space.

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