I hate that the George Pickens contract is one of the biggest Cowboys conversations before the 2026 season even starts, but Stephen Jones has already opened that door.
Dallas has finally found the second receiver us Cowboys fans have been asking for to team up with CeeDee Lamb, and George Pickens responded last season with 93 catches for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns.
Now the topic has shifted from that outstanding season to whether Dallas can afford to keep him.
We know that George Pickens is playing this season on the franchise tag, worth $27.298 million, and Stephen Jones has made it crystal clear what another big year could mean for the budget.
Stephen Jones Addressed the George Pickens Contract
During an appearance on the DLLS Cowboys podcast, Stephen Jones didn’t hide from the salary-cap problem.
“You know, most teams, I don’t know of any teams that really can pay, you know, two top receivers, top of the market. So, you know, that’s going to be a real difficult situation as we move forward.”
That wasn’t what Cowboys fans wanted to hear, but I have to say Stephen isn’t wrong. Lamb has a massive contract, Dak Prescott is expensive, and Dallas has a ton of money tied up in several players across the roster.
What I think makes this most frustrating is how long Dallas spent trying to find somebody who could take some of the pressure off of CeeDee Lamb. The Cowboys finally got their guy, and he became one of the best receivers in the NFL.
And now we are hearing how hard it will be to keep him here.
George Pickens Gave CeeDee Lamb Some Help
The salary cannot be ignored, but it also shouldn’t bury what Pickens was to this team last year. He didn’t just play like a good No.2. We watched as he became a legit No.1 option as CeeDee struggled some last season.
Defenses couldn’t load everything toward Lamb and feel comfortable no one else would make a play. George Pickens was able to take advantage of the coverage and gave the offense something it had been missing for years.
Stephen Jones mentioned what George Pickens wants to accomplish this season.
“George is really wanting to put back-to-back years on top of one another, so it’ll help his market and certainly I know at some point [he] will want to be rewarded with a long-term contract.”
If George Pickens puts up another 1,300 or 1,400 yards, his price is going to skyrocket and he knows it. You know who else knows it. The Cowboys front office, and every receiver needy team, knows it too.
Dallas Shouldn’t Decide Pickens’ Future Yet
At some point, Dallas is going to have to decide where the money goes. We all know that’s nothing new. Who knows maybe the Cowboys will get to next spring, look at all the numbers and decide George Pickens is out of their price range.
We don’t need a decision to be made right now.
I know one thing for certain, Dallas spent too long looking for a guy who could punish defenses for loading coverage toward CeeDee Lamb. George Pickens gave them that player almost instantly.
The Cowboys need to see how far this offense can go before worrying about breaking it apart.
If we watch George Pickens stack another elite season on top of last year, this won’t feel like a simple salary-cap decision. It will feel a little more personal when deciding whether to let a 25-year-old receiver walk just as he enters his prime.
If Pickens goes somewhere else next season and keeps putting up these types of numbers, Cowboys fans won’t forget.
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