Ever since the Dallas Cowboys traded for wide receiver George Pickens, fans had been wondering if the team could afford to keep him, while also paying CeeDee Lamb and three other star defensive tackles. But on Tuesday morning, team owner Jerry Jones put all speculation to rest when he was asked whether paying Pickens was feasible.

“Yes,” Jones mentioned during his appearance on 105.3 The Fan. “Yes.”

Picking on that, Jon Machota of The Athletic wrote on X: “It doesn’t sound like Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has any issues with paying George Pickens and also keeping together his expensive defensive tackle room.”

The owner has no problem paying Pickens for another season and is even willing to extend him beyond that. The Cowboys have an outstanding structure in cap space after the franchise moved on from Micah Parsons.

Pickens is playing on the final year of his 4-year, $6.75 million rookie deal, which he originally signed with the Steelers. The Cowboys acquired him in May 2025, sending a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick in exchange.

That proved to be a sound decision, as the Dallas offense has only benefitted from Pickens’ addition. He shares good chemistry with Lamb, and the pair has not had a poor game this year so far. Pickens’ worst game was Week 1, where he recorded only 30 yards. Following that, he has registered at least 57 yards in a game, and also played three games with 134+ yards.

So, having Pickens and Lamb together on the field would mean they can have their way with whatever defense is presented to them.

No wonder former Cowboys player Dez Bryant wants Pickens to stay. “George Pickens, I want you to understand that whenever it’s time to negotiate your new contract, your legacy will be worth more than being the highest-paid wide receiver if you stayed with the Cowboys,” he wrote on X on Tuesday. 

His performance has been rewarded by the confidence people have in him. But there are also some concerns.

Brian Schottenheimer disciplines CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens

The Dallas Cowboys beat the Raiders 33-16 on Monday Night Football, but the story began before kickoff. CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens were benched for the opening drive, leaving fans stunned. Jalen Tolbert, Ryan Flournoy, and KaVontae Turpin took the field. The move was speculated to be strategic until neither receiver offered clarity post-game.

“Made a coach’s decision. There were some things that were missed,” Brian Schottenheimer said after the game.

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After a three-and-out and a turnover early on, Dallas’ offense took off. The Cowboys scored on five consecutive possessions. Lamb passed Dez Bryant in franchise receptions and became the third-fastest Cowboy to reach 40 career touchdowns. But when asked about his initial benching, he said: 

“I’m not going in depth on that.”

Even Pickens refused to answer when ESPN’s Laura Rutledge questioned him about it after the game. Instead, he talked about the run game.

However, the punishment was allegedly for violating the team’s internal policies. Lamb and Pickens were accused of breaking the Cowboys’ curfew when they were in Las Vegas. Security cameras caught both players in the hotel lobby even after their allotted time.

But following the temporary benching as a disciplinary measure, the conflict between the head coach and the receivers quickly faded. The wide receivers were seen cheering and hugging one another later in the first half of the game.