The Cowboys bought themselves some time with George Pickens, but they definitely didn’t buy themselves a discount.
I think about the contact Drake London’s new four-year, $141 million extension with $100 million guaranteed, that he just signed and wonder how much cheaper the Cowboys could have gotten Pickens signed for earlier in the offseason.
That contract and the contracts above Pickens on the pay and performance scale just keep elevating his eventual price tag.
I found George Pickens is currently 16th among wide receivers in average annual value at $27.298 million. An already expensive number will increase when a new contract is handed out.
Wide Receiver Contracts Above George Pickens
Here is the contract picture above Pickens right now.
That is the market Dallas is dealing with, and it doesn’t bode well for the cap space.
The Cowboys can tell themselves George Pickens is only the 16th-highest paid receiver right now, but we all know that is just where this journey will begin. If Pickens plays on the franchise tag contract and has another great season, he won’t be looking to be the 16th-highest anymore.
How Do George Pickens’ Stats Stat Up
The contract chart tells one story, but we all know the production chart is where the money gets made.
When you compare Pickens’ 2025 season to the receivers making more money than him, his argument has some Saquon Barkley-sized legs to stand on.
The Chart alone could be Pickens’ argument.
George Pickens had more receiving yards in 2025 than every receiver above him in annual salary except Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Does that mean Pickens is better than all of them? He was better than all of them in 2025, for sure, and the year before a contract is all that seemingly matters in the NFL.
Do the other payers on the list have a better resume? Most do, but contracts aren’t paid off of reputation they are paid off of “what have you done lately?”
One Big Season Still Leaves a Question
I think I understand why Dallas is trying to be careful.
We have watched the Cowboys get burned by handing out big contracts in the past. We’ve all complained about those contracts getting signed and then watching the players do nothing.
Pickens was outstanding in 2025, but now he has to stack it and prove he can be more than a one-year superstar.
Being an elite receiver for one season is a little different than being one your entire career. Now George Pickens just needs to stick with it and earn that payday.
Even though that payday will probably be over the $40 million a year mark by the time it is all said and done.
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