Cowboys WR George Pickens given $26,085 unsportsmanlike conduct fine for hugging goal post after touchdown

Cowboys WR George Pickens given $26,085 unsportsmanlike conduct fine for hugging goal post after touchdownPickens has been fined 5 times already this season, mostly for unsportsmanlike conduct and tauntingStory byKari AndersonContributing writerSat, November 22, 2025 at 10:13 PM UTC·2 min read

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens has been fined $26,085 by the NFL for unsportsmanlike conduct after jumping onto the goal post as part of a touchdown celebration.

Pickens scored a touchdown in the second quarter of the Cowboys' dominant Week 11 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. The celebration was flagged by referees, with officials awarding a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty as a result.

George Pickens celebrated his second-quarter touchdown against the Raiders by embracing the goal post. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) (Christian Petersen via Getty Images)

The fine is larger than the second offense for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, indicating that Pickens may have been fined more heavily due to repeat offenses. This is Pickens' fifth fine of the season, with nearly all of them relating to unsportsmanlike conduct or taunting.

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Pickens was fined twice during Dallas' win over the New York Giants in Week 2, with him and fellow receiver CeeDee Lamb fined $14,491 each for a gun-related celebration after a touchdown; Pickens was then fined an additional $14,491 for taking off his helmet before leaving the field. Pickens was also fined for taunting in Week 7's win over the Washington Commanders and Week 9's loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

The league cited "use of a prop" as the reason for this fine. Seattle Seahawks' receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba was given a similar fine in Week 7 for dunking the ball over the cross bar in a touchdown celebration, though Smith-Njigba was only charged $14,491 for his first offense.

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Pickens and Lamb were both benched to start the game as part of a "coach's decision" from Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer. Both receivers went on to score in the blowout win, and Pickens finished with a team-leading 144 receiving yards on nine receptions.

Though the team originally stayed quiet on why the receivers were benched, Lamb revealed on Thursday that he and Pickens had missed curfew while getting dinner and drinks at a casino in Las Vegas.

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