After missing out on the postseason for the second consecutive year, the Jerry Jones-owned Dallas Cowboys have taken significant steps towards returning to playoff contention next season. The first major decision taken by the Cowboys has been to fire their defensive coordinator, Matt Eberflus. As many fans rejoiced at this move, wide receiver George Pickens’ reaction to Eberflus’ firing has since gone viral.

Pickens was seen liking the post shared on the Cowboys’ Instagram about the team’s decision to move on from Matt Eberflus. The post, now reshared by FergSZN on X, with Pickens’s like captured in it, has garnered over a million views.

This reaction from the star wideout comes as he played on the opposite side of the ball and was forced to do a herculean task as Dallas gave up 511 points on the season, ranking them last in points allowed. With these defensive inefficiencies, the Cowboys were already doomed despite QB1 Dak Prescott having two 1,000-yard receivers in Pickens and CeeDee Lamb and a 1,000-yard rusher, Javonte Williams.

Hence, the firing of Matt Eberflus was all but a matter of time. Still, while addressing this decision, the Cowboys’ owner, Jerry Jones, released a statement about these issues on the defense, which are not all Eberflus’s fault.

“Don’t blame this all on [Matt Eberflus],” Jones said. “This took five or six years to get here. This is a product of several years of combinations of philosophies. A lot of people, in that sense, and you can broaden who has influenced where we are the most. But I can make a case for you that we haven’t had satisfactory defense for five or six years.”

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While Jerry Jones has taken the first steps towards improving the Dallas defense, he still has various issues to address if he wants to bring back the glory days in Arlington. He will now have to make another major decision regarding George Pickens, who is set to become a free agent after a stellar 2025 season.

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After joining the Dallas Cowboys in an offseason trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers, George Pickens set career highs in catches (93), receiving yards (1,429), and touchdowns (nine). These incredible numbers helped him earn Pro Bowl honors, as his 84.1 yards per game ranked fourth league-wide.

But after this incredible season, Pickens finds himself in free agency, wherein the Cowboys are set to back their star wideout, according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano.

“Based on everything I’ve heard, the franchise tag is the likely option here,” Graziano wrote.

As these appear to be positive signs for the former Steelers wideout, Pickens shared he was “super prepared” for the offseason negotiations during his media interaction after the Cowboys’ Week 18 loss against the New York Giants.

He also addressed how having David Mulugheta as his agent, who also represents Green Bay Packers pass-rusher Micah Parsons and was involved with the Cowboys over a prolonged contract dispute, has affected these negotiations.

“Definitely two different positions, I would say, but then again, Micah is Micah, and I’m me,” Pickens said.

As the Cowboys enter a crucial offseason, securing Pickens long-term while fixing their league-worst defense will determine whether they can end their two-year playoff drought. Jerry Jones must now balance rewarding offensive stars with addressing the systematic defensive failures that have plagued Dallas for years.