Greg Newsome II threw down the gauntlet, and George Pickens answered exactly the way you’d expect.
The Giants cornerback said New York has the best cornerback room in the NFL, and that kind of claim was always going to get back to the Cowboys. Pickens was asked about it, and he didn’t bite on the idea that the Giants secondary is sitting on top of the league.
"That’s definitely how he should feel. Now, how we should feel, I’d definitely say a completely different story.
That’s cool that he thinks that. He should definitely feel like that, but I feel like we’re definitely not thinking the same thing."
George Pickens on Giants corners
In other words: Pickens isn’t buying the hype. He’s making it clear Dallas doesn’t see the matchup the same way Newsome does.
Newsome, for his part, has already gone on record praising CeeDee Lamb and Pickens as great players, but he still likes New York’s chances. That’s the kind of talk that adds some extra juice to a Week 1 Sunday Night Football opener that already had plenty of it.
The back-and-forth also comes with a little history. Newsome and Pickens know each other from their AFC North days, when Newsome was with the Cleveland Browns and Pickens was with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Cleveland and Pittsburgh was already a heated rivalry, and the two players added to it with repeated exchanges over three seasons. Their clashes even escalated to a slight scuffle in a 2024 game.
After that matchup, Newsome called Pickens a fake tough guy who only cares about himself, and Pickens has repeatedly brushed him off, saying he doesn’t know who he is. Now they’re back in the same division, and the trash talk has followed them.
As for what happens on the field, the numbers from last season lean toward Pickens’ side. The Giants allowed 214.2 passing yards per game in 2025, which ranked 16th in the NFL.
Against Dallas, they gave up 343 passing yards in a Week 2 loss, then held the Cowboys to 143 passing yards in a Week 18 win. That said, Pickens, Lamb and Dak Prescott were only on the field for about half of Dallas’ offensive snaps in that second meeting.
The Giants’ secondary also looks different now, with Newsome and rookie Colton Hood added to the mix. Newsome says it’s the league’s best cornerback group.
Pickens clearly disagrees. Sunday night will give both sides a chance to back it up.
In Other News...
Giants Just Added Real Suspense To Malik Nabers Week 1 Status
The Giants made a roster move ahead of Week 1 by promoting wide receiver and special teams contributor Dalen Cambre from the practice squad to the 53-man roster before facing the Cowboys. It was the kind of depth-chart shuffle that usually slides by unnoticed, but this one landed with extra weight because it came amid lingering questions around Malik Nabers and the offenses opening-night plans.
Nabers has practiced fully and is not on the injury report, yet his status for Sunday still has not been made fully clear because New York has not announced its final lineup. For a Giants team trying to settle its pecking order before a division game, that leaves at least one of its most important offensive pieces in a bit of suspense right as the season begins. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Just Created New Week 1 Tension Around Malik Nabers
The Giants made a small but telling roster move ahead of Week 1, elevating wide receiver and special teams contributor Dalen Cambre from the practice squad to the 53-man roster before their matchup with the Cowboys. It is the kind of transaction that usually flies under the radar, but at this point in the calendar every promotion and depth-chart shuffle gets a closer look, especially when it comes this close to opening weekend.
What makes the move worth watching is the uncertainty still hovering around Malik Nabers. He has been a full participant in recent practices and does not carry an official injury designation, yet the Giants still have not said whether he will be active for the opener. The final answer will come before kickoff, but until then the team has left a little tension hanging over a game that already carries plenty of attention. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Just Caught A Huge Break Before Rams Matchup
The Giants will not have to deal with one of the leagues most disruptive pass rushers when they line up with the Rams, as Myles Garrett is undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery and has been placed on injured reserve. That moves him out for at least the next four games, which includes the upcoming meeting with New York, and it gives the Giants a little more room to breathe as they prepare for a defense that can still create problems in other ways.
Aaron Donalds status for that game is still unclear, which keeps plenty of attention on the Rams front even without Garrett in the picture. There is also the off-field uncertainty involving potential NFL discipline cases for Puka Nacua and Alaric Jackson, adding another layer of questions around a matchup that already looks different than it did a few days ago. [Read more 🡒]