The Dallas Cowboys' decision to trade for George Pickens this offseason could hardly have worked out any better for quarterback Dak Prescott and the Dallas offense. It's imperative that owner and GM Jerry Jones and his staff find a way to keep the dynamic wideout in the fold when the offseason arrives.
Pickens is slated to hit free agency at the conclusion of his 2025 campaign. The Cowboys have the ability to retain him via the Franchise tag, but that would take his salary all the way up to somewhere around $29 million in 2026. That's a challenging number for Dallas' front office to accommodate given their other salary obligations in the future.
The far better path for the Cowboys' front office would be to hammer out a long-term extension that would tie Pickens up for years to come. It would also result in lowering his annual average salary to a much more palatable number for Dallas to avoid.
Will the Cowboys sign George Pickens to a long-term deal?
Cowboys fans have every right to feel concerned about their front office's ability to come to tie Pickens down for the long haul. Dallas' failure to move quickly to ink Prescott to a contract extension cost them millions of dollars when they finally convinced him to put pen to paper. More importantly, it cost Dallas significant payroll flexibility when it came to surrounding Prescott with elite talent.
The team's decision to trade Micah Parsons also can be partially attributed to their inability to sign a star player to a long-term deal. The Cowboys ultimately decided Parsons would not get the massive contract he was looking for before he was shipped to Green Bay. The Cowboys might have been able to avoid that nuclear option if they had engaged Parsons in meaningful contract talks earlier in the process.
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The hope in Dallas has to be that Jones and his front office have learned from their mistakes. Pickens appears to be the perfect complement to CeeDee Lamb to unlock the team's passing game. The Cowboys have no way to replace him other than gambling on a wide receiver with a high pick in next year's draft. It's simply a risk Dallas cannot afford to take if they're serious about strengthening their Super Bowl credentials heading into the 2026 campaign.
How much should the Cowboys pay George Pickens?
Pickens and his representatives know they have a lot of leverage at their disposal. The Cowboys need to keep him on the roster and can't afford to use the franchise tag to make that thappen. They also need to win some points with the fan base by avoiding a long, fruitless negotiation.
That's going to embolden Pickens to ask for a contract similar to the four-year, $136 deal Lamb got from the franchise. The Cowboys should be excited to realize any savings they can under the $29 million they might be forced to pay via the franchise tag.
A four-year deal that starts at $25 million per season with modest escalations could be a win for both parties. Something like $108 million in potential earnings for Pickens should be enough to get it done. Don't be surprised if the "reported" number is much higher than that, but features some tough incentives. Pickens might want more cash than that, but he'd be wise to accept that lucrative offer from the Cowboys.