George Pickens is making case for a Cowboys extension undeniable already

George Pickens has come a long way from his first couple of seasons in the NFL. During his time in Pittsburgh, he was known more for his lack of discipline than production on the field. So much so, it got him traded to the Dallas Cowboys last offseason. Now, Pickens looks like a true professional. Despite being on the franchise tag and skipping voluntary camp, Pickens showed up to a skill players' retreat hosted by quarterback Dak Prescott, per Pro Football Talk. The Cowboys don’t intend to negotiate a long-term deal with Pickens before the July 15 deadline. 

Instead of causing drama, Pickens is going about business as usual. It's one more reason why Jerry Jones should seriously consider giving Pickens a long-term extension. Pickens had a career-high 1,429 receiving yards last year. His impact on this offense is prevalent already, but maturity—that's the kicker. He’s no longer the hothead he once was, and it’s forcing the Cowboys into a corner. 

George Pickens is continuing to put pressure on Dallas Cowboys front office

It was already hard for the Dallas Cowboys to ignore extending the best player on their offense last year. Now that he’s showing he’s not going to be a problem, that makes it that much more enticing to extend him. Players aren’t usually bashful about extension talks. Pickens could have skipped mandatory camp to make a point, but he didn’t. Him not skipping the retreat means he’s probably not going to hold out during training camp. 

Pickens seems keen on letting his play this season show the Cowboys why they’ll regret not bringing him back. I know it’s a tough ask to invest that much money into the offense – look at the Cincinnati Bengals. But Dallas has a lot of young potential on this defense already. This championship window is too narrow to pass up on it. Dallas very well might need Pickens to win a championship. 

The Dallas Cowboys will regret delaying George Pickens extension talks

Dallas delaying Pickens’ extension talks only drives up his price. Assuming Pickens has a healthy 2026 season, if he looks as good as he did last season, the Cowboys will have to pay even more than what he’s probably worth already. I’m not quite sure of the hesitancy other than not wanting to dedicate all that cap space to the offense. They don’t have any major extensions coming up on defense, so why not invest in the offense?

The offense with Pickens is drastically different without him. This offense needs two solid receivers to thrive. When CeeDee Lamb didn’t have much help from the rest of the receiver room, the Cowboys struggled. Pickens came along and elevated Prescott even more. If Dallas contends for the playoffs and puts together a postseason run, it would be hard for the Cowboys to ignore just how important Pickens is to their offense. 

Should George Pickens want to re-sign with Dallas?

From outside the locker room, it feels like Pickens enjoys being around the Cowboys. Yes, he got his wish of being more involved in the offense, but is it best for him to stay in Dallas? I think so because the Cowboys aren’t treating him any differently than they have other players who had to play on the franchise tag. He’s on a team that really isn’t bad, he’s a core part and it’s the Cowboys. 

The fact that the Cowboys have at least been straight up with him about his contract extension is a good sign. They could have led him on, but they’ve made their intentions clear. Now it’s up to him to either show them why they were foolish to wait this long and what they’re going to miss if they don’t re-sign him or ultimately prove them right.

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