Fans are totally losing it because apparently, ESPN showed a fake clip of the Cowboys‘ training camp during the ‘First Take‘ show. Can you imagine the outrage on social media? People are calling them out left and right for trying to pull a fast one on all of us. Talk about a shady move!
And let me tell you, Cowboys fans were not having it. They were furious that ESPN would stoop so low just for a little TV drama. But hey, it could be an oversight!
The segment, which featured NFL insider Adam Schefter alongside host Molly Qerim and other panelists, centered on the Cowboys’ outlook for the upcoming season and included what ESPN claimed was footage of quarterback Dak Prescott connecting with new wide receiver George Pickens at training camp.
The only problem? The video wasn’t recent—and it wasn’t Pickens.
The clip, originally posted by X user @FergSZN on Monday, was actually from last year’s Cowboys training camp. In the video, Prescott throws a crisp pass to then-Cowboys wideout Brandin Cooks, who—like Pickens—wears the No. 3 jersey. While the jersey number clearly caused confusion, users on social media quickly pointed out that the footage was recycled and misidentified.
“All ESPN had to do was read the comments,” one user replied under the original post, which had started gaining traction as fans bought into the illusion.
The @FergSZN account later revealed that the clip was in fact a repost of a 2023 video originally shared by Cowboys insider Kyle Youmans, who had provided proper context at the time. While many users online simply laughed off the mistake, the fact that ESPN—widely regarded as the center of the Cowboys’ media universe—aired the wrong footage during a flagship program made the error especially glaring.
Even the user who created the viral tweet was stunned when ESPN issued an on-air apology.
“THEY JUST APOLOGIZED FOR SHOWING MY TWEET LMAO,” @FergSZN posted in disbelief.
During a follow-up on Tuesday afternoon, First Take host Molly Qerim addressed the mistake live on air.
“Earlier, we showed video that we identified as George Pickens at Cowboys training camp — it was not George. So, we apologize on that mistake,” she said.
“It’s actually mind-blowing how many people fell for this,” @FergSZN wrote after the incident began to gain traction.
The timing of the blunder was especially ironic considering ESPN’s long-running reputation as the ultimate driver of Cowboys coverage—often accused by fans of devoting disproportionate airtime to “America’s Team.”
Fake news and fake training camp clips, what’s next? Stay tuned to see what mess ESPN shows again.
Flip to the next page to watch the fake clip…
