George might have picked a tough game to be so involved in.
During a high-scoring matchup on “Thursday Night Football” between the Cowboys and Lions, Dallas receiver George Pickens didn’t make much of an impact despite the absence of star teammate CeeDee Lamb, who left the game due to a concussion.
Now, Pickens finds himself in a bit of a public spat with former All-Pro cornerback and Prime Video analyst Richard Sherman, who criticized him for what he perceived as a lackluster performance.
Sherman labeled Pickens as “uninteresting,” questioned his reliability in clutch situations, and expressed doubt over whether Pickens could be trusted with a significant contract, stating that a top receiver can’t simply vanish when the team needs them the most.
In the game against Detroit, where the Cowboys really needed Pickens to step up, he only managed five catches for 37 yards.
But Pickens didn’t let the criticism slide quietly.
He fired back on social media, in a now-deleted post, labeling Sherman as a “shithole” and accusing him of overstating the situation for attention.
This message didn’t stick around long, but a screenshot made the rounds quickly.
In a now-erased Instagram Story, Pickens wrote, “Lots of shy must be explosive and playable.” He added, “And it’s funny because I thought a former player would know this. Richard P. W. Sherman, by the way, it wouldn’t be SHH without the Boom Corps, but we all remember the San Francisco Brothers.”
It seems he was pointing out Sherman’s time in San Francisco from 2018 to 2020, during which Sherman was an All-Pro and Pro Bowler in 2019.
Sherman, who also played for the Buccaneers before retiring after the 2021 season, didn’t hold back during the “TNF” post-game show.
He remarked that Pickens appeared uninterested, especially in the game’s later stages. “I have no interest in playing football,” Sherman said. “If you want to be a superstar or the best receiver in the NFL, you can’t just fade away when things aren’t going your way. You have to stay involved and make an impact.”
He added, “With CeeDee Lamb out, there’s no room for being half-hearted. If the Cowboys are considering paying Pickens big bucks, they need to trust him, even in tough situations.”
On Friday, Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer mentioned he would be discussing the situation with Pickens. “I know what was published. I haven’t talked to him yet, but it’s been deleted. I’m going to check in on him,” he said. “This is what we sometimes deal with in this profession.”
