The Dallas Cowboys are going to get their No. 1 wide receiver, CeeDee Lamb, back in the lineup on Sunday when they take on the Washington Commanders. Lamb said on Thursday that he probably could have played in the team's 30-27 loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 6, but wanted to make sure he was fully healthy before coming back.
He is not expected to be on any sort of a snap limit against the Commanders.
It is obviously good news for the Cowboys to get their top offensive playmaker back in the lineup, and should give them a dominant 1-2 punch with Lamb and George Pickens being options for quarterback Dak Prescott.
At least, that is the idea in theory.
Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb said he could have played last week against the Panthers. He sat another week so he could be fully healthy without limitations.
— Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) October 16, 2025
He will not be on a pitch count against Commanders. pic.twitter.com/BmjnFylC41
Lamb's return does present some big questions for how much Pickens is going to be used and what sort of trickle-down effect that might have.
While Lamb's absence has taken a big-play threat out of the Cowboys' lineup, it has opened the door for Pickens, an offseason trade addition from the Pittsburgh Steelers, to begin realizing all of his potential and performing like a superstar.
Entering the weekend Pickens is 14th in the NFL with 32 catches and third in the league with 525 yards. He also has six touchdowns, tying him for the league lead with Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Pickens has been great, and everything the Steelers wanted him to be and everything the Cowboys hoped he could be.
It has also been a perfectly timed breakout given that he is in the final year of his rookie contract and in the market for a new big-money contract.
The problem Pickens might run into now is that as soon as Lamb returns to the lineup, Lamb will once again be the Cowboys' top passing option. Lamb is the better player, and for right now he is the higher paid player.
Pickens' emergence has come with him — by default — being Prescott's best option. How will that look with Lamb back in the lineup? Will there be enough passes to split between the two wide receivers? And how will Pickens react to not getting as much of the workload?
In the two games Lamb played this season, Pickens was targeted just 13 times and recorded just 98 yards receiving.
In the games without Lamb he has been targeted 35 times (nearly three more per game than he had in the first two games) and has already two games with more than 130 receiving yards.
Can the Cowboys keep both players happy? Can both be utilized as significant parts of the offense? If they can, that makes an already strong Cowboys offense even better. But if Lamb starts to get the lion's share of the passes and wins do not come with it, might not go over well with the player (Pickens) in search of the big contract this offseason.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!