Cowboys Legend Rips Dallas WRs for Embarrassing Route Running

The Dallas Cowboys are in the midst of an offensive slump as they managed to score just 29 points over the past two games. That's a shocking dropoff considering they had scored at least 31 points in the previous three outings.

Head coach Brian Schottenheimer and offensive coordinator Klayton Adams are searching for answers as they prepare for the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football in Week 7. One area of concern that's been discussed often is the ground game, which hasn't been nearly as effective in 2026 as it was in 2025.

That said, former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman believes there's another problem that needs to be corrected. While speaking with Mike Fisher, Aikman was asked if the receivers were "running routes as crisply" as Aikman would like to see. Aikman said that it's been a while since they did run crisp routes before adding that one of the wide receivers was embarrassing in his performance.

"No, and they haven’t in a while. I won’t name names, but there’s one particular player, I was embarrassed," Aikman said. "It’s the worst performance I’ve ever seen from a receiver on a football field.”

Which Cowboys WR is Troy Aikman talking about?

NFL hall of fame Troy Aikman prior to a game between the New Orleans Saints and the Kansas City Chiefs. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Aikman's comments are worth noting, not only because he's a three-time Super Bowl winning quarterback, but also because he's been one of the top broadcasters for roughly 25 years. Aikman has watched a ton of football and studies film before every game, and the Cowboys are a team he's prepared for multiple times every year.

The question is which receiver is he talking about?

It's easy to think George Pickens is the player he meant, since Pickens has a history of not giving a full effort when things aren't going his way. Pickens was also called out by head coach Brian Schottenheimer for not giving a full effort in run blocking.

That said, it could just as easily be CeeDee Lamb, who had nine receptions on 18 targets for 70 yards. That's an average of just 7.8 yards per catch and 50% of the targets from Dak Prescott to Lamb were incomplete. A third option is Ryan Flournoy, who had just 5.7 yards per catch, finishing with 40 yards on seven receptions.

If it was Lamb, it wouldn't be the first time Aikman called him out. During the 2024 season, Aikman said the Cowboys receivers were running "lazy" routes and specifically named Lamb as someone who needs to be better.

At this point, we can only guess who Aikman was singling out, but the main point is that he said the entire receiving corps isn't running crisp routes. There's far too much talent at that position for that to be the case and if the Cowboys want to make a run at the NFC East, that has to change.

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