What We Learned at Cowboys Training Camp: George Pickens Looks Happy Despite Lack of Extension

OXNARD, Calif. — Dak Prescott wants his unit to be “GOTI,” an acronym the Cowboys’ quarterback came up with, meaning the “greatest offense there is.”

That’s a lofty goal considering the Cowboys offense has to be better than Matthew Stafford’s Rams, Josh Allen’s Bills and many other talented units across the league.

But CeeDee Lamb might have found a unique way to help the Cowboys become “GOTI” in 2026. During individual drills of Tuesday’s practice, Lamb placed a net over his helmet, making it more difficult for him to catch passes in front of the jugs machine. The star receiver still managed to make nearly every catch, dropping just one or two balls.

CeeDee Lamb practiced catching passes with a net over his head at Cowboys camp 👀 pic.twitter.com/whZBDZW1VI
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) August 4, 2026

George Pickens saw his teammate sporting what looked like a wedding veil or a beekeeping helmet and decided to try the strange tactic for himself. Pickens dropped the first pass and immediately walked away.

“This is a little hard,” Pickens can be heard saying as he walked to the jugs machine with the net over his head. “Hold on. This is my first time using this.”

Lamb’s new warmup drill went viral on social media, with many joking in the comments that this was his way of practicing for the sun at AT&T Stadium. It has been well documented that team owner Jerry Jones refuses to use the curtains during home games, and Lamb once infamously dropped a touchdown pass due to the glare from the sun.

So maybe Lamb has the right idea here. But in order for the Cowboys to reach “GOTI” status, they’re going to need the defense to also find creative ways to improve, especially when it comes to rushing the passer (only 35 sacks in 2025).

Last season’s Super Bowl contestants, the Patriots and Seahawks, were known more for their defenses, but those offenses ranked second and third, respectively, in points scored per game. New England and Seattle averaged more than 28 points per game and trailed only the Rams, who averaged 30.5 points per game.

As for the Cowboys, they averaged 27.7 points per game and allowed a league-high 30.1 points per game. Based on those numbers, being just “GOTI” likely won’t end the team’s two-year playoff drought, but the defense gained talent in the offseason and many of those newcomers were easy to spot during Tuesday’s practice.

Here’s what else I learned during my training camp visit with the Cowboys, starting with a happy Pickens.

It’s all smiles for Pickens in his second season with Cowboys

It seemed the Cowboys were headed for another messy contract dispute that could have spilled into training camp after slapping the franchise tag on Pickens in March.

Prescott and Lamb dealt with summer drama before getting their contract extensions, as did Micah Parsons before he was traded to the Packers last August. But there wasn’t much to report from Pickens’s contract dilemma. He was quick to sign the one-year franchise tag of $27.29 million and had no issues reporting to camp without a multi-year contract extension. (He and the team cannot continue contract negotiations until after the season because they missed the July 15 deadline for agreeing to a multi-year pact.)

Based on Pickens’s past and the trouble he caused at times for the Steelers in his first three seasons, it’s somewhat of a surprise the star receiver is okay with betting on himself this season. Additionally, he just looks happy to be with the Cowboys and in an offense that knows how to utilize his elite skill set. Last season, Pickens set career highs in receptions (93), receiving yards (1,429) and touchdowns (nine).

He’s also having fun practicing next to Lamb and has been somewhat of a leader in the receivers’ room. Occasionally, the position breaks up into two groups during practice, with Lamb leading one and Pickens the other. Also, Pickens was happy to sign autographs and do a few interviews after Tuesday’s practice.

Or maybe I caught Pickens on a good day because Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers agreed to a four-year, $140 million contract extension earlier in the day. Pickens, who is viewed by many as a better player, will likely surpass those figures if all goes well in his second season with the Cowboys. Pickens getting more than Drake London’s $141 million but less than Ja'Marr Chase’s $161 million could be the sweet spot. Then again, that’s a lot of money for a Dallas team that has been too one-sided, with a strong offense and poor defense.

Cowboys WRs at work 💪 pic.twitter.com/XLrJZLcIVc
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) August 4, 2026

Rushing attack could be better in 2026

I kept a close eye on second-year running back Jaydon Blue after my colleague Albert Breer mentioned him in his Cowboys’ takeaways last week.

It didn’t take long for the 2025 fifth-round pick to make a highlight play, ripping off an explosive run near the right sideline. Later, Blue broke free out of the backfield to make a play in the passing game.

Last year, Javonte Williams was the team’s lone reliable running back, and he did well in that role with 1,201 rushing yards. But there could now be a solid one-two punch with the emergence of Blue, who had only 38 carries for 129 yards as a rookie.

Gaining another playmaker in the backfield is another way for the Cowboys to be the “GOTI.”

Dak Prescott takes the field at Cowboys camp 😤 pic.twitter.com/94RfRZcbaA
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) August 4, 2026

New-look secondary plays with an edge

It’s hard for any secondary to keep pace with Lamb and Pickens, but the Cowboys’ retooled back end wasn’t afraid to be physical with the star receivers.

Newcomer cornerback Cobie Durant, the former Rams standout, broke up a few passes and didn’t allow the receivers much space. Suddenly, the Cowboys have plenty of depth and versatility after signing safety Jalen Thompson and using a first-round pick on do-it-all defensive back Caleb Downs.

We’ll see whether these offseason moves are enough to create substantial change after a horrific season for the secondary. Dallas allowed a league-high 251.5 passing yards per game in 2025.

One more thing I learned …

For a second, I thought the Jones family was charging the media for water, but then I realized that the futuristic looking vending machine was free. All I needed to do was press the code for the water bottle I wanted.

I decided to go with A8 because it looked more appealing than all the other bottles that were exactly the same. Fascinating process.

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