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The NFL fined Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens $26,085 on Saturday, the largest penalty of Week 11, for unsportsmanlike conduct after a use-of-prop violation during his Monday night touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders. The infraction resulted from Pickens jumping onto and hugging the goalpost after his 37-yard touchdown reception from Dak Prescott, a play that extended Dallas’ lead to 24–6 late in the second quarter of the Cowboys’ 33–16 win on Monday.
The league determines fine amounts based partly on a player’s disciplinary history, and Pickens’ penalty was significantly higher than the $14,491 issued to Detroit Lions receiver Jameson Williams for the same celebration one night earlier. According to the league, the difference is due to Pickens committing his fifth unsportsmanlike conduct infraction of the 2025 season, while Williams’ act was only his second.
Pickens’ 2025 fines now total more than $84,000, per league tracking, and his overall career fines have reached $191,155 through four seasons. His disciplinary history includes multiple taunting violations, penalties for removing his helmet, excessive facemask, a blindside block, an obscene gesture, a violent gesture, displaying a personal message, and other unsportsmanlike acts. Earlier this season, Pickens was also fined $14,491 in Week 2 for a “violent gesture” celebration involving finger guns as well as an additional penalty for removing his helmet, totaling $28,982 that week alone.
The game against Las Vegas was one of Pickens’ best performances of the year. He led all receivers with nine catches for 144 yards and one touchdown, contributing to a Dallas offense powered by Dak Prescott and a receiving group featuring CeeDee Lamb and tight end Jake Ferguson. In ten games of his first season with Dallas, Pickens has produced 908 receiving yards, 58 receptions, and seven touchdowns, averaging 90.8 yards per game, all figures exceeding his 2024 output with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pickens’ week involved more than the league’s disciplinary action, as he and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb were held out of the Cowboys’ first offensive drive following confirmation that the 24-year-old had missed the gameday bus. Pickens has already faced more than $83,000 in fines in his first year with the Cowboys, compared with the $90,000-plus he was fined during the 2024 season in Pittsburgh.
After the Monday night game, Pickens acknowledged the mistake, saying he was unsure what prompted him to leap onto the goalpost but stated he would not repeat the action. While the fine revenue will be donated to league-supported charitable foundations, the mounting penalties call into question whether Pickens can curb his on-field behavior as he approaches free agency in 2026.
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