NFL fines George Pickens $26,085 for MNF goalpost celebration

NFL fined Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens $26,085 on Saturday, the highest penalty of the 11th weekfor unsportsmanlike conduct following a prop use injury during his touchdown Monday night against the Las Vegas Raiders. The offense resulted from Pickens jumping up and hugging the post after his 37-yard touchdown reception from Dak Prescott, a play that extended Dallas’ lead to 24–6 late in the second quarter The Cowboys won 33-16 on Monday.

The league determines fines in part based on a player’s disciplinary history, and Pickens’ fine was significantly higher than the $14,491 levied against Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams for the same celebration a night earlier. According to the league, the difference is because Pickens committed his fifth unsportsmanlike conduct violation of the 2025 season, while Williams’ action was only his second.

Pickens’ fines for 2025 are now more than $84,000 per league cap, and his career fines have reached $191,155 through four seasons. His disciplinary history includes multiple fouls for taunting, helmet removal penalties, excessive face mask, blind side blocking, foul gesture, violent gesture, display of personal message and other unsportsmanlike conduct. Earlier this season, Pickens was also fined $14,491 in Week 2 for celebrating a “violent gesture” involving finger guns, as well as an additional fine for removing his helmet, for a total of $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 that included CeeDee Lamb and tight end Jake Ferguson. In ten games of his first season with DallasPickens produced 908 receiving yards, 58 receptions and seven touchdowns, averaging 90.8 yards per game, all numbers exceeding his 2024 performance with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pickens’ week included more than league disciplinary action, as he and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb were held out of the Cowboys’ first offense after it was confirmed the 24-year-old had missed the game day bus. Pickens already faced more than $83,000 in fines in his first year with the Cowboys, compared to the $90,000-plus he was fined during the 2024 season in Pittsburgh.

After Monday night’s game, Pickens acknowledged the mistake, saying he wasn’t sure what led him to jump the post, but said he wouldn’t do it again. While proceeds from the fine will be donated to charitable foundations supported by the league, the mounting penalties call into question whether Pickens can control his on-field behavior as he approaches free agency in 2026.