The Dallas Cowboys faced a roadblock when CeeDee Lamb got injured, but then George Pickens stepped in and stole the spotlight. Now the tough part is here: deciding what to do when Pickens’ rookie contract expires after this season. Will Jerry Jones extend him, tag him, or let him walk away as a free agent?

Currently on a salary of $3.65 million, the wide receiver is going to want a contract north of $30 million annually. Meanwhile, the franchise tag for wide receivers in 2026 will be more than $25 million. That’s a lot, especially considering the fact that Dallas is already paying Lamb $34 million per year. But then again, he is earning every penny of what that potentially huge new contract could have in store for him.

In six appearances so far this season, Pickens has 32 receptions to his name, and he is currently tied for the 3rd in the league with 525 receiving yards. In receiving touchdowns, he is tied with Detroit Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown right at the top.

Trading Pickens before the deadline is a possibility some insiders whisper about. But from a strategic angle, tagging and trading him early next year might make more sense. That way, Dallas benefits from his strong play the rest of this season, pushing his trade value even higher. 

The better he plays, the tougher it gets for Jerry Jones and the Cowboys to hold onto him. And just like with the Micah Parsons trade, negotiations will be tricky. That’s because Pickens’ agent, David Mulugheta, who’s also the defensive end’s agent, is hard to outmaneuver. This makes the whole situation more complicated for the Cowboys.

Jerry Jones faces a tough financial call

Jerry Jones doesn’t shy away from the tough questions. On a recent radio appearance on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, he addressed if the team is ready to start discussions with Pickens.

“We are always looking at what we can do to basically financially improve where we are,” Jones said. “Now, you don’t financially improve without getting what you paid for. That’s a misnomer.”

Jones made it clear that any big payout has to be backed by the right players and real talent. “I know you say, ‘Well, duh, that was assumed in the question.’ Well, the point is that we’ll look carefully at what we’re doing financially, look carefully at what we do there with George.”

The owner went on to praise Pickens not just for his on-field firepower but for the intangibles too. “I can’t tell you how proud I am personally for George because he is absolutely as exciting as he’s been on the field for us. He’s been that kind of teammate, and he’s inspirational,” Jones added.

But here’s the rub: Dallas’s defense is a disaster. Dead last in yards allowed (411.7) and second-to-last in points allowed (30.7). The Cowboys’ defense can’t carry the team the way a strong supporting cast should. That puts additional pressure on the offense and thus on receiving options like Pickens.

Jerry Jones knows all this. One wrong move financially, and the Cowboys could be stuck in the NFL’s no-man’s land: paying big bucks with no defense or losing a key weapon on offense. Either way, Jerry’s got a tough call to make.