Damian Lillard didn’t waste any time weighing in on what he thinks the Las Vegas Raiders should do next.
With the Raiders off to a 3-1 start and drawing early-season buzz under new coach Klint Kubiak, the NBA star and longtime Raiders supporter took to X on Monday to make his pitch: go after Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens before the NFL trade deadline.
“Just go get Pickens…,” Lillard wrote.
That one-line post was enough to get Raiders fans talking, because Pickens has exactly the kind of profile that jumps off the screen: a big-play receiver who can stretch a defense and add another layer to an offense that has looked better than expected so far. Lillard, an Oakland native who has never been shy about offering his opinions on the team, clearly sees a fit.
The Raiders’ early success has raised the temperature around the roster, too. Even with the offense performing well, the receiver room has been viewed by some as one of the thinner groups in the league, and that has fueled calls from fans for the team to add another weapon to help the Kirk Cousins-led offense keep building.
Pickens, who is on a franchise tag worth $27,298,000 with the Cowboys, has become a name to watch around the league. But Dallas executive vice president Stephen Jones made it clear on 105.3 The Fan that contract talk is not on his mind right now.
“Right now, neither,” Jones said. “I'm worried about winning a football game.
We're fortunate to have them all on the team. Certainly, that time will come.
Obviously, we're not in a mode of trying to extend either one of them right now. We've been very upfront about that, both with George and with Porter when we signed him.
“Right now, they know our goal is to go out and give ourselves every opportunity to win a championship. When the time comes to start to think about the contracts, we'll be all over it and look at doing that as well.”
Pickens still hasn’t landed a contract extension with Dallas, even after holding out during the offseason. And with CeeDee Lamb already attached to a major deal, there’s a belief the Cowboys may be reluctant to commit huge money to another wideout.
In Other News...
Raiders Were At Center Of A Brutal Late Chiefs Controversy
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Kansas City still managed to close it out, with safety Xavier Nwankpa coming up with an interception that helped swing the ending back in the Chiefs favor. A penalty against the Raiders then further tipped the final sequence, turning a disputed moment into another frustrating chapter in a rivalry that rarely comes without drama. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Pressure Is Building Around One Move They May Not Delay
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Marvin Harrison Jr. has even been floated as a speculative name if he were to become available, a reminder of how aggressive the Raiders may need to be if they want to change the shape of this passing game. For a team trying to keep pace in a tight AFC race, the pressure is no longer just about making a move, but about whether they can afford to wait much longer to make it. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Let Chiefs Game Slip Away After A Few Brutal Decisions
The Raiders had a chance to make life difficult for the undefeated Chiefs at home in an AFC West matchup, and for stretches they were right there. The game swung on a series of big moments, from Kansas Citys fake punt to scoring drives that kept both sides trading the lead, while Las Vegas answered with touchdown throws from Kirk Cousins to Ian Thomas and Michael Mayer.
Still, the kind of game the Raiders needed to finish cleanly started to tilt the other way on a few brutal decisions and mistakes. A critical Dareke Young fumble added to the frustration, and Kansas City kept finding answers, including a late fourth-quarter touchdown run by Kenneth Walker III, leaving Las Vegas to wonder how a winnable game got away. [Read more 🡒]