For the first time since he was acquired in a trade in 2025, veteran wide receiver George Pickens missed a game with the Dallas Cowboys last week.

Pickens, who was dealing with a hamstring issue that he has been battling for multiple weeks, was limited all three days last week before drawing a questionable tag and being inactive.

This week, Pickens started off with a pair of limited practices over the first two days, which was a bad sign because that's how he started off last week before ultimately sitting out.

But, on Friday, when the Cowboys are going to release their final injury report, Pickens left no doubt about whether or not he will play.

George Pickens injury update

According to Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News, the Cowboys wideout made an emphatic statement about his chances of playing on Sunday.

"You gonna see me out there. You got to turn the TV screen on," Pickens said.

When asked if this is the best he has felt in a while, Pickens had another interesting response.

"When you turn that TV on, get some food make sure if you have a wife or girlfriend, make sure you hug her, love her and when you turn the TV on, you should see me," Pickens added.

The Cowboys have not yet released their final injury report as of this writing, but I think it's safe to assume he'll be out there on Sunday.

Why Pickens hasn't been as productive in 2026

Pickens has posted 533 yards and two touchdowns in the eight games he played this season. Assuming he doesn't miss another game, he's currently on pace to tally 1,065 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

That would be a far cry from what he posted last season when he ripped off career-highs in receiving yards (1,429) and touchdown (nine).

A big reason for Pickens' drop in production has been the presence of fellow wideout CeeDee Lamb.

Lamb missed three games due to injury last season and exited a few others early, which left more work for Pickens. In fact, some of Pickens' best performances came while Lamb was sidelined.

But Lamb has not missed any games this season and has, as expected, returned to his role as quarterback Dak Prescott's favorite target, which has no doubt cut into Pickens' opportunities.

Through nine games, Lamb is having a monster season with 70 receptions, 904 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. He also leads the NFL with 108 targets, so Prescott has looked his way a ton in 2026.

But Pickens is still having a solid campaign for a No. 2 receiver and that doesn't change the fact that he would be a No. 1 target on a lot of teams around the league.