Jerry Jones has played this game before, many times, to be precise: a stretch where a star player’s future, and a potential contract extension, sits under the microscope for the Dallas Cowboys. Last year, it was Micah Parsons. This year, it’s George Pickens. And while Micah eventually shipped off to the Green Bay Packers, Jerry doesn’t appear inclined to cut ties with Pickens. That hasn’t stopped Micah, though, from doing a little recruiting behind the scenes. When asked about it, Jerry didn’t dodge the question. Instead, he answered it calmly.

“Well, I know that we think a lot of George Pickens as well, and I’m sure, having played him, that he (Micah) thinks a lot of him as well. So, we’re really proud to have him as a Cowboy,” Jerry said when asked about his thoughts on Micah recruiting Pickens to the Packers.

Those comments surfaced against the backdrop of the Pro Bowl Games. While Micah couldn’t take part in Tuesday’s flag football contest as he continues to recover from the torn ACL he suffered in December 2025, that didn’t stop him from trying to recruit Pickens anyway. And he did it in front of CeeDee Lamb. Lamb explained the moment during his appearance on the Up & Adams Show.

“Everybody in my face is trying to recruit him while I’m standing right next to them as if I’m not there,” Lamb explained. “Micah, for one. Let’s start with Micah. … I don’t know what’s going on with him. He’s a little too active to be on a scooter. That’s the whole team that I’ll stay with right now, but there’s a couple people that I feel like are trying to get my mans away from me.”

While there’s no denying that Micah’s pursuit of Pickens can hinder the Cowboys’ receiving corps, still, Jerry doesn’t seem bothered by any of it. From his perspective, Dallas clearly respects Pickens, and so does Micah, who’s played against him and understands just how talented he is. Over the last four seasons, Micah has suited up against Pickens only once. That meeting came during the 2025 season, when the Packers traveled to Dallas in Week 4.

In that game, Pickens turned in a strong performance, hauling in eight receptions for 134 yards and two touchdowns. Micah, meanwhile, finished with three tackles and one sack as the Packers and Cowboys battled to a 40–40 tie. It gave the edge rusher a close-up look at Pickens, which helps explain why he’s pushing so hard behind the scenes as Pickens approaches a key point in his contract timeline.

However, that’s not the only thing linking the two players, either. Both are represented by the same agent, David Mulugheta, a name that became well known during Parsons’ own contract dispute with Dallas. At one point, Jerry even claimed he didn’t know who Mulugheta was. Now, with the offseason here, Pickens is seeking an extension. Whether Mulugheta ultimately gets a deal done remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: Packers players have already zeroed in on a wideout coming off the best season of his career.

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Jerry Jones can afford George Pickens’ market value

Jerry Jones has plenty on his plate heading into free agency. A total of 22 Cowboys players are set to hit the market, and right at the center of it all is George Pickens, who is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. That reality forces Jerry into a familiar decision point: either place the franchise tag on Pickens or meet his market value with a long-term extension. Based on Jerry’s comments, the latter appears financially doable.

“Absolutely,” he said, when asked about being able to pay Pickens’ fair market value. “A lot of the reasons I did some of the things that I did last year were to retain some players that, if it had gone in different directions, I couldn’t have done it.”

Still, with contract talks yet to truly begin, it’s reasonable to keep the franchise tag in play. The bigger question is whether Jerry would actually lean on it. A franchise tag would cost Dallas roughly $28 million for the season, all of it hitting the salary cap immediately, while also limiting Pickens’ earning potential. When asked about that possibility, Jerry responded diplomatically.

“Not any more at all than any other player,” the owner added. “No. In fact, my emphasis on feeling good about him off the field, or any of those issues, has to do with me not differentiating him from any of the top players. Obviously, if you franchise somebody, they’re not getting exactly where they want to be. That’s the way that works. Would I be more concerned with him than I would be with anybody? The answer is not at all.”

Jerry is downplaying any potential drama that could come from tagging a star instead of extending him. For context, Spotrac projects Pickens’ annual market value at over $30 million, while the franchise tag would cap him at $28 million for one season, a noticeable financial gap. Ultimately, it will come down to how negotiations unfold between both sides. But for now, even with Micah Parsons making his own recruiting push, all signs suggest Jerry may be determined to keep his star wideout at home this time.