If there’s one man who knows how to make a deal, it’s Jerry Jones. When the Dallas Cowboys traded a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Steelers for wide receiver George Pickens and a 2027 sixth-round pick, Dallas not only landed a playmaker….they landed a bargain. The Cowboys took on the final year of Pickens’s rookie contract, worth just $3.656 million, and he’s turned out to be a perfect ROI for them.

Pickens has been on fire lately. He racked up 6 touchdowns over his last five games. In Sunday’s loss to the Panthers, he managed 9 catches, 168 yards, and a touchdown. His breakout performances have earned him a well-deserved contract boost. According to Over the Cap, Picken’s contract now reached $28.65 million, which is over the projected $28 million franchise tag for wide receivers.

Speaking of wide receivers, CeeDee Lamb has missed three games due to a high ankle sprain. In his absence, Pickens has gained over 100 yards twice in those three appearances. He not only stepped in for the sidelined player but also carried the offense and delivered when it mattered the most. But will Pickens continue to shine or even get an opportunity to shine if CeeDee returns?

“I mean, hey, there’s still a long way to go between now and the offseason, and there’s a lot of things that can happen during this season to change, you know, your feelings about that. But if it’s rolling like it was rolling in Charlotte, when CeeDee comes back, I still don’t think they’re making the playoffs. But if they just look dynamic on offense to a level where you’re just like, well, you just can’t give that up,” Cowboys’ insider for the Athletic, Jon Machota, said on the One Star Cowboy Podcast.

So, the question on everyone’s mind is: what is Pickens’ future?

What does Jerry Jones have for George Pickens?

“The only thing, the only reason I would say it’s maybe a hair early on either way, whether you’re talking about trading him or signing him or whatever. It’s just that these last three weeks, 4 weeks have been the absolute best circumstances that you’ll get George Pickens under, which is CeeDee Lamb is not there. So he’s the number one.” Machota signalling that Pickens’ future remains dicey with CeeDee being on the roster.

The Cowboys also don’t have much cap space for a second wide receiver. Even Jones’ recent comments suggest that while considering Pickens, the room availability for a wideout will play a crucial role. “We knew full well that if things really went the way we wanted them to, we’d have to think about having some room available if we were going to pay a second receiver at that level,” Jones told reporters on Tuesday at an event for The East-West Shrine Bowl.

Right now, it may take some time to get George Pickens and his agent, David Mulugheta, to the negotiating table. Mulugheta represented Micah Parsons earlier, which might add a sour taste to the Jones-Parsons equation. But Pickens has silenced both questions that surfaced about his career.

Can he be a good teammate? Absolutely. Can he produce a true WR1? Without a doubt. Through 6 weeks, Pickens ticked every checkbox. Be it his personality in the locker room or filling in for CeeDee Lamb. As far as the contract is concerned, both Pickens and Mulugheta know that his price is expected to rise if he keeps producing. But for now, patience should remain on his side.