In a Week 11 Monday Night Football showdown, the Dallas Cowboys secured a 33-16 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, driven by a powerful offensive showing. The night’s biggest story, however, was wide receiver George Pickens, who started the game on the sideline for disciplinary reasons but ended it as the star.
After sitting out the first drive, Pickens dominated with nine receptions for 144 yards and a touchdown. With Pickens in the final year of his contract, his performance put a spotlight on his future, and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had a firm response after the game.
Will Jerry Jones Pay to Keep George Pickens in Dallas?
One of the most significant moves of the offseason was the Cowboys’ acquisition of Pickens from the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick. That trade brought him to Dallas for the final year of his rookie deal, setting up a critical contract negotiation.
Following the victory over the Raiders, Jones was asked about a potential extension. Dallas Cowboys reporter Jon Machota shared the exchange on X:
“It doesn’t sound like Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has any issues with paying George Pickens and also keeping together his expensive defensive tackle room. Jones provided his shortest answer when asked on @1053thefan if re-signing Pickens and having a ton of money tied up in WR while also having three DTs making over $60 million was feasible to build a balanced roster: ‘Yes. Yes.'”
It doesn’t sound like Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has any issues with paying George Pickens and also keeping together his expensive defensive tackle room.
Jones provided his shortest answer when asked on @1053thefan if re-signing Pickens and having a ton of money tied up in WR…
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) November 18, 2025
To put that commitment into perspective, the Cowboys are projected to have approximately $60 million in cap hits tied up in just three defensive linemen next season. According to Spotrac, Quinnen Williams’ hit will be $21,750,000, Kenny Clark’s will be $21,500,000, and Osa Odighizuwa’s will be $20,750,000. These figures are in addition to other massive contracts, like Dak Prescott’s $74,068,400 cap hit and CeeDee Lamb’s $38,600,000.
Pickens has certainly proven he is worth the investment, and Jones’s comments suggest a deal will likely be struck before the receiver has a chance to test free agency. In 10 games this season, Pickens has tallied 58 receptions for 908 yards and seven touchdowns. His performance ranks him third in PFSN’s Wide Receiver Impact metric, behind only Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Puka Nacua, with a B+ grade and an impact score of 88.6.
Despite the team’s 4-5-1 record, the offense has not been the issue. The Cowboys currently rank third in the league in PFSN’s Offensive Impact rankings, earning a B+ grade with an 87.8 impact score.
Next, Dallas will face the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, November 23, at 4:25 p.m. EST.
