Acquired from the Steelers last spring, Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens has gotten off to a fast start in his first season in Dallas. This could go down as Pickens’ only season in Dallas, though, as the team has not discussed a contract extension with the soon-to-be free agent or his representatives, according to Ed Werder of WFAA.
Werder’s report comes just a week after Cowboys owner Jerry Jones expressed interest in locking up Pickens to a new deal.
“Any and everything about George Pickens has crossed our minds,” Jones told 105.3 The Fan (via Jon Machota of The Athletic). “Certainly he’s a topic of interest and discussions because of the success he’s having.”
Pickens expressed an openness to a Dallas extension back in August, but the price tag has likely gone up since then. During his three-season run in Pittsburgh, the former Georgia Bulldog averaged approximately 16 games, 59 catches, 947 yards, and four touchdowns per year. That’s solid production, albeit far from elite, and there was drama along the way.
Head coach Mike Tomlin said last December that Pickens needed to “grow up in a hurry” after he took two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in a win over the Bengals. A few weeks later, Pickens showed up late for the Steelers’ Christmas Day game against the Chiefs, Mike DeFabo of The Athletic reported last January. After trading Pickens to the Cowboys, Steelers general manager Omar Kahn stated that “a fresh start for both sides was the right thing.”
The “fresh start” has worked out well for Pickens and the Cowboys. Pickens has been an integral cog in one of the league’s most productive offenses, and there haven’t been any known issues behind the scenes. With 43 catches and 685 yards through eight games, Pickens is easily on track to surpass his career highs of 63 and 1,140 in those categories. He has already hauled in a personal-best six touchdowns.
Between Pickens’ spike in production and a lack of high-end receivers due to reach free agency in the offseason, the 24-year-old could push for a long-term deal in the $30MM-per-annum vicinity. That would be a hefty commitment for a Dallas team that’s already paying No. 1 receiver CeeDee Lamb $34MM per season on the four-year, $136MM pact it awarded him in August 2024. If the Cowboys are unable to hammer out a multiyear arrangement with Pickens, Werder points to the franchise tag as a possibility. That would cost the Cowboys around $28MM in 2026.