Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- A star wide receiver's contract value is skyrocketing after a recent deal set a new market benchmark this offseason.
- His current team faces a race against time to secure his future before each new signing further inflates his price tag.
- The front office's next move will test whether they can balance immediate Super Bowl ambitions with long-term financial strategy.
if the Dallas Cowboys want to keep George Pickens for the long haul, then they might want to get a deal done sooner rather than later. Every big wide receiver deal that gets signed before Dallas inks Pickens to a new contract will only see his price tag balloon.
Case in point: The Baltimore Ravens handing Zay Flowers a four-year, $140 million deal with $108 million in guaranteed money on Tuesday will only embolden Pickens and his representatives to increase their asking price. Flowers is an uber-productive wideout for Baltimore, but he lacks the physical gifts that give Pickens such a high ceiling.
The average annual value of Flowers' new deal is $35 million per season. That's well north of the $27 million and change Pickens is set to earn this year on the franchise tag. The enigmatic wideout will certainly take notice of Flowers' salary when he reengages the Cowboys about his next contract.
One would think Jerry Jones and his front office would understand the cost of waiting to re-sign a big name star. Stringing quarterback Dak Prescott along ended up costing the franchise tens of millions of dollars when free agency loomed for the prolific passer. They risk the same potential outcome with Pickens if they head into next offseason without resolving his medium-term future.
Proponents of Dallas' strategy would point out to the potential benefits of keeping Pickens working for a big deal. His personality conflicts in Pittsburgh ultimately led to the Steelers shipping him out of town. The Cowboys might be afraid to give Pickens too much security with a lucrative new deal.
How much will the Cowboys have to pay George Pickens?
It's hard to imagine Pickens signing a contract that does not make him one of the highest paid wide receivers in the NFL. The Flowers contract will effectively serve as a new floor for his potential negotiations. The reality is that Pickens' next contract will likely challenge Jaxson Smith-Njigba to become the highest paid receiver in football.
The term of Pickens' next contract will influence his average annual salary. A five-year deal feels like a sweet spot for a 25-year-old just entering his athletic prime. That's one year more than the deals that both Flowers and Smith-Njigba received. That extra year should allow Dallas to keep Pickens' salary in check.
That does not mean it will be a cheap contract. Deals inevitably get larger as time goes on and Pickens will ink a contract that will reset the market. A five-year deal with an average annual salary of $44 million would be a win for the player and his representatives. Giving Pickens a contract worth up to $220 million might be a scary proposition for the Cowboys but they can't afford to let Pickens leave while they're pushing to win a Super Bowl.
At the end of the day, Pickes owes Flowers a nice meal out. His latest contract will end up earning Pickens a few extra million when he signs his next contracw with the Cowboys.
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