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Cowboys Lamb Shares 1-Word Message on Pickens Trade

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Anthony Goss | Last updated May 11, 2025 4:57 PM ET

FRISCO — The Dallas Cowboys reeled in a big catch this week, trading with the Pittsburgh Steelers to land George Pickens. This offense needed a No. 2 receiver on the depth chart and it could be argued that the Cowboys may have gone beyond filling that exact need.

Pickens was a firm No. 1 option with the Steelers. While he joins CeeDee Lamb in this receiving corps, one could argue that "1A" or "1B" is a better descriptor for the role he serves in Dallas.

Make no mistake, this is a slam dunk move for the Cowboys. Pickens has the field stretching ability and the one-on-one prowess that Dallas has lacked for years.

However, there are some concerns to had, specifically with Pickens' personality. "Creative differences" caused a rift between Pickens and team leadership, so there is urgency for the Cowboys to ensure healthy relationships between all parties from the start.

Since Pickens joins an offense with an established No. 1 and a quarterback in Dak Prescott who has that rapport, a player with a strong personality could make things interesting.

But Lamb advised the new Cowboy and the entire world that he will not anything about his own gain inhibit what the team is trying to build. "Kid you not; can’t express it enough. It’s no ego here," Lamb wrote on X.

Kid you not; can’t express it enough. It’s no ego here .
— CeeDee Lamb (@_CeeDeeThree) May 10, 2025

It seems that's his own way of welcoming Pickens to the team, assuring the new guy that his star will not dimmer joining this offense. In fact, both stand to have their own stars shine brighter paired alongside the other.

Now Lamb has had his moments on the sideline, expressing some frustrations in a rough moment, but rarely if ever do those challenges boil over and impact the team. Pickens will have to learn that same lesson in his new home.

Though absurdly talented, Pickens emotions have resulted in several unsportsmanlike penalties in his young career and an ejection on one occasion. Simply as a player, regardless of his affiliation, he must do a better job of keeping those emotions under wraps.

That maturity will now have to be complemented by an understanding that he will no longer be the focal point of his team's passing attack. Lamb and Pickens are both high profile assets, meaning they will each take turns in having the spotlight on the field.

And that exact phenomenon will be what gives defenses headaches in preparing for the Cowboys. Lamb's and Pickens' abilities are so balanced that defenses will quite literally be forced to pick their poison every week.

But this only works if the egos are put to the side. Lamb has clearly chosen to do so, now it's up to Pickens to prove it between the lines.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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