With the NFL offseason in full swing, many expected Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens to be up in arms about his situation with the team. The receiver has been dominating contract headlines for a while now, having yet to secure a new deal with the Cowboys. Dallas is testing his patience, and the executives around the league are starting to warn the team against it.
George Pickens Could Be Out of Dallas Just Like Micah Parsons
There’s much to be said for how Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is handling Pickens’s contract situation. Fresh off losing pass rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers last offseason, Jones is staring down the barrel of losing yet another building block.
At age 25, Pickens is just entering his prime, and it would make sense for Dallas to lock him in and ensure its star receiver group, including CeeDee Lamb, stays together for a long time. The team, however, is busy with another power play, and NFL executives are warning the Cowboys against another major contract slip.
“Dallas is going to face a big decision because Pickens is set up to have another productive season and the receiver market has skyrocketed,” one executive with an NFL team told ESPN. “If they tag him again without the promise of a new deal, he could revolt.”
The league’s top wide receivers are earning north of $30 million per year, with some even crossing the $40 million threshold. While Pickens has yet to establish himself among those stars, such as Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Justin Jefferson, his 2025 campaign certainly qualifies him to get close to $30 million APY.
While Lamb missed time due to injury, Pickens had no trouble leading the team, recording 93 catches for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns. He was named to the second-Team All-Pro and made the Pro Bowl, and according to PFSN’s WR Impact Metric, posted an impact score of 88.4, ranking third in the league.
“I’m kind of surprised it didn’t get ugly this offseason,” the executive said. “I understand the character stuff, but he produced at a ridiculous level last year. If he does it again, then he can hold their feet to the fire a little more. And they still have to be willing to hold that franchise tag number on their [2027] books, which isn’t always easy.”
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Head coach Brian Schottenheimer had an impressive first season and is trying to build the Cowboys into a consistent playoff contender again. Losing a talent like Pickens could very well set his efforts back.
Pickens also has the luxury of following in Parsons’s footsteps by simply heading off to a better team if Jones continues to play hardball.
