NFL star turns off George Pickens and points to another new player as the reason for the Cowboys’ improvement

For much of the season, George Pickens has drawn headlines with his impressive performance for the Dallas Cowboys.

With eight touchdowns on 73 receptions and a steady presence in the offense, especially while CeeDee Lamb was recovering, Pickens looked like a central piece of the team’s resurgence.

Yet, according to veteran linebacker Nik Bonitto, the real turnaround has come on the defensive side, thanks to Quinnen Williams.

On a recent segment of his “Better Deal” show on Bleacher Report, Bonitto didn’t mince words as he weighed who was the better bargain for Dallas this season, Pickens or Williams.

“I’m going with Quinnen Williams, man. Just what he’s done in this short amount of games, and you’ve already seen the turnaround defensively and just how much their team is even playing better now, man,” Bonitto said.

While he acknowledged Pickens has had a “special” season, he argued that Williams’ impact has outpaced the wide receiver’s contributions.

The numbers support Bonitto’s point. With Williams on the field, the Cowboys‘ defense has allowed only 21.7 points per game and produced a 43.9% pressure rate. Without him, the pressure rate reportedly drops to 22.0%.

In just three games, Williams has generated 19 pressures, already more than the 16 pressures he logged in eight games last season with the New York Jets. That kind of disruption, Bonitto says, changes games more than any single offensive play can.

Still, that doesn’t erase how important Pickens has been for Dallas. With Lamb sidelined, Pickens stepped up as the go-to target for Dak Prescott, offering a big-play threat and helping stabilize an offense that needed dynamic playmaking. The Cowboys clearly value him, so much so that team leadership appears ready to lock him into a long-term deal.

Plans to extend

According to front office signals, including remarks from executive Stephen Jones, the team hopes to extend Pickens’ contract ahead of free agency.

“Anyone watching him play knows … we want to get him signed,” Jones said. “George has just been an amazing pickup for us … certainly a guy that we’d like to have around here.” Jerry Jones echoed the sentiment, calling Pickens, alongside Lamb, a second number-one receiver for what they’re building.

Interestingly, analytics site Spotrac projects that Pickens could land a five-year extension worth approximately $153.7 million, averaging about $30.8 million annually. If signed, that would cement Pickens as a core piece of the Cowboys‘ receiving corps alongside Lamb.

So while Pickens remains a rising star in Dallas, Bonitto’s public warning to “look at the D-line” has changed the conversation. The suggestion that Williams, a defensive tackle, might be more responsible for the team’s recent success throws a spotlight on the defense’s resurgence, often overlooked when offense draws the headlines.

What remains clear: the Cowboys‘ improvement isn’t resting on just one player. It’s the sum of offense, defense, and leadership all clicking at the right time. But if Bonitto‘s assessment holds up, Williams may deserve more credit than most expected, and Pickens may face new pressure to prove that his contract extension is more than just hype.