Is Cowboys' Jerry Jones more concerned about George Pickens' effort than before?

One day after Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens was accused by some of lacking effort during the club's 44-30 loss at the Detroit Lions on Dec. 4, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones defended Pickens. 

During a Tuesday appearance on Dallas sports radio station 105.3 The Fan, Jones was asked if he had changed his opinion regarding what Pickens did and/or didn't do versus the Lions. 

Jerry Jones views George Pickens as "a big-time competitor"

"One of the things that you got to appreciate about George Pickens is his intensity for the competition," Jones said, per Jon Machota of The Athletic. "Now, he is a big-time competitor. When it comes to competing and when it comes to loving the game, I emphasize that point right there, loving the game, then I give him A-pluses."

During the "Thursday Night Football" loss at Detroit's Ford Field, Pickens showed little effort in attempting to catch a pass that deflected off his hands for a Lions interception. Late in the contest's fourth quarter, he got behind two defenders but then made no real play to reel in a deep pass before it fell harmlessly to the ground. 

On the Prime Video postgame show, former All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman ripped Pickens for looking "uninterested in playing football." Pickens initially acknowledged that he "can’t just disappear" during a game, but he later clapped back at Sherman. 

On Monday, first-year Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer revealed that he and Pickens have since chatted about the wideout's performance and about his reply to Sherman. 

Jerry Jones expects George Pickens to compete through Week 18. 

"I like what George Pickens has done all year," Jones continued on Tuesday. "...Just so that I’m real clear about it, I don’t have the concern that (others) debate about what George Pickens did or didn’t do in that game. I don’t have that kind of concern about him as far as his competing and helping us win football games on the field, at all."

Pickens is in the final year of his contract, but the Cowboys reportedly will keep him from hitting the open market in March 2026. ESPN stats show that Pickens heads into Week 15 ranked third in the NFL with 1,179 receiving yards, seventh with 78 receptions and tied for fifth with eight touchdown catches on the season. 

"Pickens brings everything to the table," Jones added. "He brings enough pluses to the table to frankly live with what’s going on, this type of criticism. The criticism in my mind is, is he a competitor, and when he gets out there, can he come down with the ball? Does he compete when he’s out there? A-triple-plus."

The 6-6-1 Cowboys trail three teams in the battle for the NFC's final wild-card playoff berth. Dallas next hosts the 5-8 Minnesota Vikings this coming Sunday night. 

As of Tuesday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Cowboys as six-point favorites for that prime-time showdown.