The Cowboys Must Choose CeeDee Lamb or George Pickens after 2026

From the moment George Pickens stepped on the field with a star on his helmet, he has electrified the Cowboys fan base. Dallas essentially stole him from Pittsburgh, but they may need to flip him after 2026.

The former Georgia Bulldog settled with the franchise tag this off-season, but it’s a temporary fix to a massive decision. The Cowboys are going to have to make.

Do they pay him and subsequently put themselves in a Cincinnati Bengals situation where the vast majority of their cap space is held up by the quarterback and wide receivers, or do they choose one of the two and move on for compensation?

In my eyes, the decision is, unfortunately, obvious. They have to trade George Pickens after this coming season.

Enjoy The 2026 Offense, Then Bring In 2027 Value

Pickens likely enjoys significant trade value, even with personal concerns, because of his fantastic 2025 performance. The Cowboys should maximize that by feeding him again this year and sending him to the highest bidder immediately after.

I think this stands true, even if Pickens outperforms Lamb, because trading 88 complicates the money side, because he’s under contract extension, while Pickens would be a simple tag-and-trade.

The argument for this is solely financial. The Cowboys’ offense will always be better with Pickens than without it, but is the roster better served having a couple of elite wide receivers, or a more even distribution of money? As I alluded to, the Bengals have the answer to that question.

As long as you have a clear WR1 and WR2, you can find the extra pieces to complete the room and make it great. Minus Pickens, I think Dallas has that with Lamb and Ryan Flournoy at the top, and new, emerging players like Camden Brown down the depth chart.

I’ll also throw in, if you watched any college football on Saturday, you likely saw some of the elite talent that the 2027 NFL draft will hold.

Trust me when I say it is a star-studded class; much better than what we just saw with the 2026 NFL draft. The Cowboys are currently set behind the eight-ball for that class, because of trades they’ve made involving their draft picks — Pickens can help with that problem.

I’m not saying it’ll be easy to willingly throw away perhaps the best wide receiver duo in football, but it is a sacrifice the Cowboys will need to make next off-season.