Former All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman didn’t hold back in denouncing the effort of George Pickens after the receiver’s poor showing in Dallas Cowboys‘ 44-30 loss to the Detroit Lions on Thursday Night Football.
The scathing critique, and Pickens‘ explosive, now-deleted social-media comeback, has sparked a wider debate about accountability and what it takes to earn a top-tier payday in today’s NFL.
On Thursday’s game, the Cowboys fell 44-30, and Pickens had one of his least effective games of the season, finishing with just five catches for 37 yards.
The absence of fellow receiver CeeDee Lamb, who exited with a concussion, made Pickens‘ drop-off even more glaring.
“George Pickens, throughout the game, especially late in the game, just looked uninterested in playing football. And that’s what you can’t have,” Sherman said during the broadcast.
“If you’re going to be a superstar, if you want to be the best receiver in the NFL, you can never be disengaged … It doesn’t matter if the game is going your way or not. You can’t just disappear in these games … That’s just unacceptable.”
Pickens responded on Instagram with a now-deleted post, taking aim at Sherman‘s career.
He claimed Sherman‘s legacy was tied to the “Legion of Boom” and suggested the cornerback was not as dominant on his own despite Pro Bowl selections.
The exchange didn’t end there. Sherman took to X to defend himself and his career, highlighting his accomplishments.
“Lol, kid hasn’t done enough to merit a response from me. I was working on my 3rd consecutive 1st team All pro and 2nd SB appearance at the same point in my career. Lol I made an ALL-Pro team and SB in SF but that’s the fall off for me,” Sherman wrote.
Sherman further defended his 2019 season with the San Francisco 49ers, noting that while it wasn’t his career peak, he still recorded 61 tackles, 11 pass deflections, and three interceptions, earning a Pro Bowl bid.
Pickens‘ season remains elite despite Thursday’s struggles
Pickens arrived in Dallas this year with high expectations, and, until Thursday, largely delivered on them.
Through the season, he recorded 78 catches for 1,179 yards and eight touchdowns, ranking first on the Cowboys in all major receiving categories.
Still, as analysts and executives watch, the glaring inconsistency in one of the most visible games of the year could carry outsized weight.
With Pickens set to hit free agency in 2026, the pressure is on, especially considering whispers that the Cowboys are weighing whether to commit a franchise-tag contract or cut bait altogether.
Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer seemed to offer a more measured take when asked about Pickens‘ effort. He noted that the Lions likely deployed heavy coverage, doubling Pickens after Lamb exited, which forced the offense to rely elsewhere.
“I’m going to look at it,” Schottenheimer said. “He was being doubled a little bit … I thought CeeDee before the injury was outstanding.”
Regardless of the social media feud, the numbers suggest that George Pickens remains one of the most dangerous receivers in the league and a cornerstone of Dallas‘ offensive future.
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