Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said on Tuesday that wide receiver George Pickens “could be a Cowboy for the rest of his career,” despite the Pro Bowl receiver entering the 2026 season on the franchise tag.
Pickens responded on Thursday by thanking Jones for the endorsement while stating where he stands regarding his future in Dallas.
George Pickens on His Dallas Cowboys Future
The Cowboys opted against negotiating a long-term extension for Pickens before training camp, but Jones’ comments earlier this week have made a new contract more likely.
“This can be a very win-win thing that we’ve done here, us and George being on the team,” Jones said. “Make no mistake about it, George could be a Cowboy for the rest of his career and that’d be a long time.”
Pickens admitted he appreciated hearing those comments from the Cowboys owner, saying it was encouraging to know Jones viewed him as a long-term piece of the franchise.
“Super excited. I’m always super happy when someone thinks highly of me, so shout out to Jerry,” Pickens said.
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Regarding his contract, the 25-year-old explained that he intentionally stayed away from the business side of negotiations, trusting his agent to handle contract discussions while he prepared for the season.
“I left that up to my agent, so I was, even when we were nine, 10 months from training camp, I was already thinking about ball. I was already training, so I kind of leave that to the people that can do that,” he revealed. “For me, I just make catches, make plays.”
Pickens also added that the entire offense has entered training camp determined to improve after last season’s 7-9-1 finish in which Dallas missed the playoffs, and believes this group is capable of putting on a better showing in 2026.
Despite a disappointing campaign as a team, the Cowboys’ offense impressed last year, ranking seventh in PFN’s Offense Impact Rankings with a score of 81.7 while averaging 27.7 points per game.
Meanwhile, Pickens enjoyed a strong individual season after being ranked third among all wide receivers per PFN’s WR Impact Rankings with a 90.6 rating, courtesy of a career-best 93 receptions for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns while building strong chemistry with Dak Prescott.
Pickens will play the 2026 campaign on the fully guaranteed $27.3 million franchise tag. Another great season in Dallas could boost his value when he becomes eligible for free agency next March.
