What are the Cowboys actually going to do with star wide receiver George Pickens? That is the one burning question on every Dallas fan’s mind.
But according to Mike Tannenbaum, former General Manager of the New York Jets, an escalation in the price tag of George Pickens will in turn create another problem for the team.
“There’s a big nuance, which is that the highest-paid receiver is now Jaxon Smith-Njigba at $42 million a year,” Tannenbaum said on Get Up. Based on how George Pickens played last year, I’m hard-pressed to think that he’ll take $1 less than being the highest-paid receiver.
“With that said, as soon as you sign George Pickens to any extension above $36 million, CeeDee Lamb’s knocking on your door and saying, ‘Well, wait a second, I’m at $36 million a year, I need a raise.’”
Per Spotrac, CeeDee Lamb signed a hefty four-year, $136M contract extension with the Cowboys, including $38M signing bonus, $100M guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $34M in August 2024. This was done with the idea of him being WR1 for the team, and Pickens was signed the next year with a lot of uncertainty around him. The latter was only signed for one year.
But Pickens ended up having his best season so far at Dallas. He led the WR room in receiving yards, with 1,429 of them. Lamb, the veteran, followed behind at No. 2 with 1,077. Dallas had the perfect WR1-WR2 combo out of a deal that did not seem like the best one at the time.
Now, Lamb’s return is certain for Dallas. But Pickens being franchise tagged is also the only indication we have of the Cowboys not wanting to let go of the WR. But how much his next contract will be worth is still something the two sides have to arrive on.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba got himself that raise after leading throughout the league and also winning the Super Bowl. But Pickens showed he is capable of reaching the same results last year. That is why he will command a high price during contract negotiations. And that might push CeeDee Lamb to also make his case for a raise, since he is also an elite playmaker, and has proven his worth in the team.
However, Lamb is not as bothered about his own contract, and is actually one of the loudest supporters of Pickens.
“I just want my man to get what he deserves,” Lamb told San Antonio Sports Star. “As for me, I know I’m good. I’m fine. Me and my family, we’re straight, and I just want to compete at the highest level, and I want to compete for a ring.
“As for GP, he’s well-deserving. He deserves every penny that he gets. And if he gets more than me, I’m gonna congrats him on that.”
At long last, however, the Cowboys have given fans some direction on how they are approaching the Pickens situation.
Cowboys Leaders Commit to George Pickens’ Long-Term Future
Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, during an interview at the NFL Owners Meeting, expressed his interest in keeping George Pickens.
“Make no mistake about it, we have long-term plans in mind” for Pro Bowl wide receiver George Pickens. “And the franchise tag is there for a purpose. It’s to benefit the process to go ahead and put your team together. We are availing ourselves of it.”
At the same time, Jones also said that there have been no new talks about Pickens’ contract extension. Unless the WR gets a deal to sign, he isn’t mandated to appear in practice before the season. It is not the ideal situation for Dallas, especially because they had such a great receiving duo in Pickens and Lamb.
The former, however, has still been practicing with quarterback Dak Prescott. But fans still want him to be seen as a Cowboy well into the future.