Jerry Jones doesn’t want to hear from the George Pickens critics.
The Cowboys owner defended his star wide receiver after questions about Pickens’ effort level arose after the team’s loss to the Lions last Thursday night.
Pickens was called out by Amazon Prime analyst Richard Sherman for looking “uninterested in playing football,” especially after fellow wideout CeeDee Lamb exited the 44-30 loss with an injury.
Pickens had just five catches for 37 yards in the game.
Ex-ESPNer Trey Wingo also spoke out on X after the game.
“The Pickens we saw tonight….was exactly why Pittsburgh decided to move on,” Wingo wrote.
Jones pushed back against those coming down on Pickens, whom the Cowboys acquired from the Steelers in the offseason.
The 24-year-old has been a very productive player in Dallas this season with 78 catches, 1,179 recieving yards and eight touchdowns.
“I think the criticism of this last ballgame is being hard on him. Not justified. I understand what we wanted to do, but there was more to it than met the eye,” Jones said during his weekly spot on 1053 The Fan.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a body of work or a season dismissed as quickly as it was with Pickens getting criticized against Detroit. And that’s madness. But I’ll tell you what, he’s had a great week of practice.”
Pickens himself fired back at Sherman, who questioned his effort and criticized him for not going all out, including on one pass when the ball deflected off his hands for an interception.
“Lots of shh has to go right for. Explosive. Plays,” Pickens wrote in a since-deleted Instagram story. “… and it’s funny cause I thought former players would know that such as. RICHARD P—Y ASS SHERMAN WHO BTW AINT SHH WITHOUT THE LEGION OF BOOM WE ALL REMEMBER SAN FRANCISCO BROTHER.”
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Coach Brian Schottenheimer said he would address the post with Pickens, but also defended his receiver’s play.
“I don’t think any of us coached or played well enough,” Schottenheimer told reporters recently.“All in all, I’m going to judge George on his body of work, man. His body of work, he’s shown what an elite player he is and what a game-changer that he is. I have no question.”
All of this comes in a contract year for Pickens, who is in the final year of his rookie deal and will likely be looking for No. 1 receiver money in the offseason.
The Cowboys (6-6-1) are still holding out hope of making the playoffs, with their best hope being to catch the 8-5 Eagles to win the NFC East.
They host the Vikings for “Sunday Night Football” in Week 15.
