Wide receiver George Pickens is going into a crucial year of his career with the Dallas Cowboys. After a lot of negotiations over the offseason, he finally signed a franchise tag that will see him get $27.3 million in guaranteed money. However, he is looking for a long-term deal, and only if he repeats the success he had with the Cowboys last year will he be given the contract.

Now that the negotiations for a contract have seen an end, Cowboys COO Stephen Jones finally shared his true feelings about the wide receiver, showcasing the trust he has in Pickens.

“He’s working with Dak,” said Stephen Jones to Adam Schein, via Mad Dog Sports Radio on X. “At the end of the day, we’ll see how these things play out… I think George Pickens has a chance to compete with CeeDee to be one of the best receivers in the league.”

After having completed 1,429 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns in 93 receptions, Pickens made his first Pro Bowl team. It was his first season with CeeDee Lamb, but the duo combined well. Jones also spoke on how lethal a force the Cowboys’ offense becomes with the duo.

“We were having great visits with Christian Parker [defensive coordinator] about the trouble that it gave his defense when he was in Philly and the challenges when you have two dynamic receivers like CeeDee and George,” said Jones.

Last season, he overshadowed WR1 CeeDee Lamb and completely dominated the offense, albeit Lamb was injured and played in 14 games. But it is not a one-time thing. Before coming to Dallas, he spent three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. There, he totaled 2,841 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns in 174 receptions.

Going into the 2026 season, Jones has only one expectation for Pickens. That is to “create an identity so this football team can have success.” While expectations are running high for Pickens, he is not the only one who will be carrying the burden of COO Stephen Jones’s hopes.

Stephen Jones believes Dak Prescott is one of the best QBs in the league

Dak Prescott has been QB1 for the Dallas Cowboys for almost a decade. Even though he is pushing 33, his role seems unchallenged by any other quarterback. However, Stephen Jones refuses to call him the best only in Dallas. Rather, he has taken it one step further with a bold claim.

“Dak Prescott, he’s just, you know, obviously we feel like he’s one of the best, if not the best quarterback in the league,” said Stephen Jones to Adam Schein, via Mad Dog Sports Radio on X. “And then you surround him, you know, with a running game, you surround him with the weapons, as you mentioned, CeeDee and George Pickens and the deep receiving corps we have.”

Since 2016, Prescott has registered 243 touchdown passes, 31 rushing touchdowns, and is just 11 yards short of reaching 36,000 passing yards. Based on these, labeling him as one of the best in the league seems legitimate.

Because of their Lamb and Pickens, the Cowboys are one of the few teams in the league to have not gone for a wide receiver in Day 1 and Day 2 of a WR-heavy draft class. Last season, the duo added over 2,500 receiving yards, proving to be formidable for the opponent’s defense. They are believed to continue the same trend, with the tight ends and running backs also supporting them.

“You’ve got a great tight end room led by Jake Ferguson; the offensive line group is strong,” said Stephen Jones. “And of course, we’ve got Javonte Williams. Him signing back. So we just felt like the pieces are in place for that offense to only get better. And certainly Coach Schottenheimer is one of the top offensive minds in this league.”

The Cowboys have

one of the best offenses in the league. Besides the QB and the WRs, they have Jake Ferguson as the tight end and Javonte Williams as the running back. They contributed to 8 and 11 11 touchdowns, respectively. Earlier in February, Williams signed a three-year extension worth $24 million. So, Prescott’s offense is quite set. Last season, they finished second in total offense (391.9 YPG) and passing offense (266.3 YPG).

Unfortunately, defense was the issue last. But this year, the Cowboys have made significant additions in that department to overcome the adversities of 2025. For the last three decades, the Cowboys have been hunting for a Super Bowl. This year, fans are excited and hopeful to see the right players coming to the franchise. Moreover, Prescott also needs that Lombardi Trophy to truly oblige Stephen Jones’ claim – the best quarterback in the league.