George Pickens’ contract saga keeps taking new turns as free agency nears. For Jerry Jones, keeping the wide receiver will not be easy, as per the latest reports. The franchise has two star wideouts, and football analyst Chris Simms believes Pickens will probably prefer to rival CeeDee Lamb in contract valuation.

“CeeDee Lamb’s really good, but he’s [George Pickens] looking across the field, going, ‘He’s not as good as me. He’s making 35. I’m certainly worth more than that. That’s for sure.'” said Chris Simms on NFL on CBS via YouTube. “Then he can go to Jerry [Jones] with David Mulugheta and turn on the film and go, ‘Hey, Jerry, look, when CeeDee’s over here, and I’m over here, look at the defense. They all go to me. They all double-team me… I’m the…man.’ And he’s going to be able to say that, and there’s going to be plenty of visual evidence to back it up.”

Trading Pickens from the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025 has been one of the best moves for Jones in the past few years. Not only in Dallas, but the wide receiver has also been one of the best in the league.

In 17 games, he had 93 receptions for 1,429 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. Thanks to his performance, he earned his first All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods in 2025. While the metrics have turned him into an elite wideout, it may have also created problems for the Cowboys.

The Cowboys are about $56 million over the cap including Pickens’ franchise tag. But the $27.3 million tag is not a number that he or his agent, David Mulugheta, will hope to see, especially after such a season.

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Compared to Lamb, it is pretty low. Lamb had 75 receptions for 1,077 receiving yards and three touchdowns. While still impressive, those metrics are nowhere near Pickens with Lamb receiving about $34 million. So, Simms believes Pickens has every right to approach Jones and ask the same amount. Even 2025 highlights will prove that Pickens has overthrown Lamb as their ‘go-to guy.’

Last year, a similar situation happened with Micah Parsons. Surprisingly, he, too had Mulugheta as his agent. Parsons hinted at Jones as the reason for his departure. Now, although the WR has been placed under a franchise tag, they do not have total control over him.

The Dallas Cowboys use a non-exclusive franchise tag on George Pickens

Both Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones have mentioned that they want George Pickens on a long-term deal. After producing such numbers, letting him go may leave them with regret. However, with the cap hit being a major obstacle, reports suggest that the owners used a non-exclusive franchise tag on Pickens.

“The Cowboys have now tagged George Pickens and a source confirms they applied the non-exclusive franchise tag, as @toddarcher reported,” posted Jori Epstein on X.

It is a tactical move from the Cowboys, who allow the WR the freedom to negotiate with other franchises but put the Cowboys in command of the negotiations.

The last time the Cowboys used a franchise tag was in 2023 on RB Tony Pollard. Before that, they also used it on TE Dalton Schultz, QB Dak Prescott, and DeMarcus Lawrence. Despite all the chaos, head coach Brian Schottenheimer is still confident in Pickens.

“My relationship with GP doesn’t change,” head coach Brian Schottenheimer said, speaking from the 2026 NFL Combine in Indianapolis. “Just like it didn’t change with CeeDee or Dak when those guys were going through certain things. It’s all part of the process. It’s the business side of it. … This is going to play out the way it’s supposed to play out. GP loves football.”

While Jones hopes to see George Pickens wear the large blue star on his helmet, there is still a possibility that he may leave. Even if he doesn’t leave, he can very well demand more dollars. It remains to be seen how things finally come to an end, especially since Pickens has yet to speak on his contract.