Cowboys' Jerry Jones Addresses George Pickens, Joey Porter Jr. Injury Speculation After Colts Game

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones denied Tuesday that the contract statuses of wide receiver George Pickens and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. played a role in either missing Sunday's win over the Indianapolis Colts.

Jones addressed the speculation during an appearance on 105.3 The Fan (h/t ESPN's Todd Archer), saying, "[It's] 100 percent injury related. Put it to rest."

Pickens missed Dallas' 27-23 road victory with shoulder and hamstring injuries, while Porter did not play due to an ankle ailment.

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Per Archer, Pickens first suffered the shoulder injury against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct. 8, and the hamstring issue popped up over the past two weeks.

As for Porter, he has been hampered by his ankle for "the past few weeks," and left the Cowboys' 33-30 overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Nov. 1 because of it.

Both Pickens and Porter are currently slated to become free agents at the conclusion of the season, which likely contributed to talk of something other than injuries playing a role in them not playing on Sunday.

The Cowboys acquired Pickens in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers prior to the 2025 season, and he went on to have a career year, earning Pro Bowl honors after recording 93 receptions for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns.

Pickens has clearly been behind CeeDee Lamb in the pecking order this season, though, resulting in more modest numbers to the tune of 39 catches for 533 yards and two touchdowns in eight games.

The Cowboys struck another deal with the Steelers this season, acquiring Porter on Sept. 30.

Porter has been hampered by injuries since the trade, though, limiting him to four games, during which he has registered eight tackles and three passes defended.

Like Pickens, the Cowboys did not sign Porter to a new contract when they acquired him, meaning he could potentially hit the open market during the offseason.

While it has been a roller-coaster season for the Cowboys thus far, they are second in the NFC East with a 4-5 record, trailing only the 5-2-1 New York Giants.

Dallas will likely need Pickens and Porter to play significant roles down the stretch in order to make a playoff run, and Jones' comments suggest that their impending free agency won't be part of the decision-making process regarding whether they play.