Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said wide receiver George Pickens needs the ball coming his way more as the team sits at 3-5 after eight games.
Jones made the comments Monday during his weekly radio appearance on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. The remarks came one day after a 33-30 overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
“He needs the ball coming his way more,” Jones said, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic.
Pickens has been targeted 62 times this season. He finished with four targets against the Cardinals and six against the Philadelphia Eagles the previous week.
Those figures represent his two lowest target totals of the year. Pickens averaged 7.75 targets per game through the first eight weeks.
He has 39 receptions for 533 yards and two touchdowns. That averages 4.9 catches, 66.6 yards and 0.25 touchdowns per game.
At that pace over a 17-game season, Pickens would finish with roughly 83 catches for about 1,133 yards and four touchdowns. His 13.7 yards per reception ranks among the higher marks for receivers with at least 30 catches.
Last season, Pickens recorded 93 receptions for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns in 17 games. He ranked among the league leaders in receiving yards and earned Pro Bowl recognition.
His 2026 production is down in volume and scoring compared with that career year. He has yet to record a 100-yard game this season after doing so multiple times in 2025.
The Cowboys are paying Pickens $27.298 million under the franchise tag this year. A second consecutive tag next season would cost approximately $32.758 million.
That figure remains nearly $10 million below the top of the current wide receiver market. The Cowboys must decide after the season whether to extend Pickens, tag him again or let him test free agency.
The team’s 3-5 record has also raised questions about a potential trade before the Nov. 10 deadline. Jones has not indicated any plans to move Pickens, focusing instead on increased usage in the remaining games.
Dallas faces the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. The Cowboys’ remaining schedule includes several divisional matchups that could influence playoff positioning in the NFC East.
Pickens’ target share has hovered near 21 percent this season. CeeDee Lamb continues to lead the team in targets as the primary option in the passing game.
The Cowboys have scored inconsistently on offense through eight weeks. Their point totals have ranged from the mid-teens to the upper 30s depending on the opponent.
Jones’ public comments place pressure on the coaching staff to find more opportunities for Pickens in the coming weeks. The receiver remains under contract for the remainder of 2026 regardless of any midseason roster moves.
