MAY 8:Â When speaking to reporters for the first time since the trade, Pickens confirmed (via NFL Network’s Jane Slater) his focus is not on his contract situation at this point. Playing out the 2025 campaign as a pending free agent would certainly add a layer of intrigue to his debut Dallas season.
MAY 7:Â The Cowboys are now the team evaluating George Pickens regarding an extension, having acquired the contract-year wide receiver from the Steelers on Wednesday morning. With CeeDee Lamb already on Dallas’ payroll at $34MM per year, Pickens should not be considered a lock to receive his second contract in Dallas.
Sending the Steelers a trade haul headlined by a third-round pick, the Cowboys should certainly be considered open to a Pickens extension. As of now, however, Pickens may not be overly interested in one. The fourth-year wideout is not believed to be interested in an immediate payday, according to AllDLLS.com’s Clarence Hill. The trade pickup sounds prepared to increase his value in Dallas.
Pickens, 24, could certainly boost his stock by thriving as a Lamb complementary piece with Dak Prescott targeting him. Russell Wilson‘s eventual Hall of Fame case notwithstanding, Prescott is a better option than the former Super Bowl winner’s age-36 season presented Pickens. A player previously tied to Wilson, Justin Fields and Kenny Pickett during his Pittsburgh run, Pickens wanting to show he can put up better numbers with Prescott makes sense. A Cowboys team that has been known to delay high-profile extensions is familiar with such patience, even as prices rise.
Steelers hesitancy regarding a Pickens extension cropped up months before the trade. The Georgia product entered the NFL with maturity concerns, and he has not dispelled those. The Steelers dealt with Pickens’ occasional issues while using him as their No. 1 wide receiver last season. A position group that housed Pickens and the mercurial Diontae Johnson together for two years proved challenging for the Steelers, who have remade their receiver room around D.K. Metcalf‘s $33MM-per-year contract. Going all the way back to the Hines Ward days, the Steelers have refrained from giving two receivers notable extensions. Ward, Antonio Brown and, briefly, Johnson held slots as extended Steelers wideouts. Metcalf now steps into that role, one Lamb holds in Dallas.
The Cowboys had the opportunity to extend Lamb in 2023, his first year of eligibility, and drew criticism for not doing so and letting the market rise. Justin Jefferson‘s deal drove up Lamb’s price, and he eventually agreed on a four-year, $136MM contract. Though, Lamb also did not sound overly eager to land an extension before his fourth season. The 2020 first-rounder reshaped his market by posting a first-team All-Pro season in 2023. Pickens may not have that ceiling in Dallas, assuming Lamb stays healthy, but his work with Pickett, Fields and Wilson point to upside — especially as the proven deep threat enters only his age-24 season.
The receiver market has seen two boom periods since Pickens’ debut, as the 2022 and ’24 offseasons brought fireworks. Ja’Marr Chase has since taken the market past $40MM per year. This ceiling lift probably will not closely impact Pickens, but Tee Higgins having secured $28.75MM per year could. With a $40MM-plus-AAV Micah Parsons accord — to top Chase as the NFL’s highest-paid non-QB — likely coming before Week 1, the Cowboys may have a difficult time paying Pickens, especially if the former No. 52 overall pick is committed to betting on himself.
With Higgins off the board as a potential 2026 free agent, Pickens could become the WR market’s prize next year. As it stands, Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel are out of contract in 2026. So are Mike Evans and Courtland Sutton. Being much younger than this group, however, will stand to vault Pickens to the top of the line. With no Cowboys WR2 extension imminent, Pickens appears to be aiming to land a No. 1-level deal after a season in Dallas.
Team player. What a nice concept
I think it’s less about being a team player than about the situation. His last team just dumped him for mid round picks because he’s a head case and his new team is in a tricky cap situation going forward even before they lock up their superstar edge rusher. So he’s not in a great position to ask for a big time extension and they’re not in a great position to give one.
Team player is the last phrase I’d ever use with Pickens. He’s quite the opposite, as the last two seasons showed.
I was being sarcastic
lol with what leverage? 😂
It’s Nice To Be A Cowboys Fan Today!!!
Delusional, your roster doesn’t stack up.
Cooper is not having a good day. He was probably hoping to come back to Dallas
I believe there’s still a spot in Buffalo for Amari, but it would have to come at a substantial discount. The fans liked him and he seemd to enjoy his time there and they’d likely carve out a better role for him with an offseason of preparation. Between the midseason trade and injury, it just didn’t work out last season.
It didnt work out in the playoffs either, but he has never been a clutch player.
Actually, having Amari onboard as a WR3 could still be a possibility! 😀 at the right price tho’
This is a one year rental.
It can still be a payday for Pickens if Prescott can stay healthy and keep both receivers involved, which could also help Ferguson, who got injured last year and needs to meet expectations.
This dude will likely end up following the same path as Dionte Johnson and most of the other former Steelers receivers.
Throwing furniture off a balcony in Florida?
Get your popcorn ready….
Anyone ever consider that this might be an organizational problem with the Steelers???
How many head cases at the receivers and running backs positions do they need to go through before people start looking to see if the problem isn’t the players the front office is drafting. Are the scouts identifying these players as potentially high risk due to some issues that go back to high school or college and the front office is drafting them anyway?
Are they getting the level of support and structure needed from the coaching and support staffs??? Or are the players just being coddled leading to an even greater sense of entitlement???
They always say Tomlin is one of the only coaches that can handle those personalities but maybe to your point, he’s creating them.
This is the move the Cowboys needed to make. Talented receiver who will hopefully put a complete season together with his head screwed on correctly. Cowboys Super Bowl here we come! Before I get destroyed please know that this comment is in jest. Although the Cowboys could get the third rounder back through a comp pick. So not the worst move in the world. Surprised Jones didn’t give up a first rounderðŸ¤
I’m surprised he cost them a third and a fifth. His head is most definitely not screwed on correctly, but just maybe, he’ll be smart enough to keep his mouth shut and just play this season. All bets are off after that.
They’ll likely get a 4th round comp pick in return when or if he leaves in FA. Dotson cost Philly a 3rd rounder even though he had much less production in his first 2 years.