Notorious Cowboys Fan Urges Dallas to Move On From George Pickens

Not everyone believes the Dallas Cowboys should keep George Pickens, with one well-known fan saying they can't rely on him.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens during the first half against the Detroit Lions. | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

George Pickens is scheduled for free agency, but the Dallas Cowboys don't want him to get the chance to test the open market.

The Cowboys have said that they will use the franchise tag on Pickens, which will most likely keep him in town for the 2026 season. Pickens would make an estimated $28.1 million if he played on the tag, but the two sides could come to terms on an extension, with July 15 being the deadline for that to happen.

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Not everyone believes this is the right call, however. While speaking on The Arena Gridiron, notorious Cowboys fan Skip Bayless said the Cowboys don't need to keep Pickens, saying he isn't a winning player. He also said his tardiness could be an issue with teammates.

"George Pickens, you can't trust him to be a winning football player, to be a leader of your team. He makes some winning plays, but then you look at the end of the day, and you say, we're 7-9-1. And I don't think the rest of the team loved it that he was constantly missing or late to meetings because that's just who he is. That's why Mike Tomlin said no to him,' Bayless said.

"If he were a solid citizen, I'd be saying, no, you got to go with him because you could make the case he's even better than CeeDee Lamb. But CeDee is a leader and a solid citizen. and a baller and a playmaker. And I got that guy. I thought I had the best receiver in football going into opening Thursday night at Philadelphia last year."

“In the end, you can’t trust George Pickens to be a winning football player or a team leader.”@RealSkipBayless says the Cowboys should move on from Pickens because of the drama surrounding him. pic.twitter.com/zq07UPqNvx

— The Arena: Gridiron (@ArenaGridiron) February 23, 2026

Bayless added that Lamb dropped two key passes in the opening week loss, but wondered if maybe that doesn't happen if Lamb has more pressure on him to deliver. He stated Lamb might rise to the occasion more often if he were the clear-cut No. 1.

Former NFL players argue against Skip Bayless' stance on George Pickens

Dallas Cowboys receiver George Pickens during NFC practice at the NFL Flag Fieldhouse at Moscone Center South Building. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

As soon as Bayless was done giving his take, others on the show were quick to argue against him. Former NFL player Aqib Talib said as long as a guy shows up on Sundays, no one in the locker room cares if they're late.

Another former player, Richie Incognito, said he agrees with Talib. His only real concern was what will happen when it comes to a long-term deal with Pickens. While he believes he's a game-changer, he's not sure if the Cowboys can allocate enough money at the receiver position to keep him, and Lamb, happy.

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