The Dallas Cowboys‘ front office, particularly Jerry Jones, may not be worried about George Pickens, but one NFL analyst believes paying the young receiver would be a colossal mistake.
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After an underwhelming performance against the Detroit Lions, to say the least, Jones has maintained confidence about a possible extension next season. The 24-year-old signed a four-year rookie contract worth approximately $6.7 million in 2022, which ends next year, making him an unrestricted free agent. But FOX analyst Mark Schlereth was strictly against Pickens getting a contract extension.
He expressed his concerns on The 105.3 The Fan podcast: “I think that Dallas is still in it. They have got their own issue over there, playing wide receiver for them, so they need to address that. There’s no way, by the way, just on a tangent, there is no way that I would pay George Pickens.”
Schlereth continued, “I wish I could buy him for what he’s worth and sell him for what he thinks he’s worth. There is no way I would invest a dime into that guy going on beyond this season.”
In the match against the Lions on December 5, Pickens caught just five of nine targets for 37 yards, marking his lowest total this season. But Jones remained positive and addressed the situation on Tuesday.
.@markschlereth on George Pickens: "There's no way that I would pay George Pickens. ... I saw him film his own slow-motion movie on Thursday night. When he's not the target, he's not interested. ... I wouldn't invest two cents in that guy."
“Just so I’m real clear about it, I don’t have any concern about the debate about what George Pickens did or didn’t do in that game,” Jones said, via 105.3 The Fan.
“He brings everything to the table to frankly live with what’s going on (with) this type of criticism.”
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer also shared his thoughts after a disappointing performance by Pickens.
Brian Schottenheimer opens up on George Pickens’ performance against the Lions
“We talked a little bit about it,” Schottenheimer said. “And again, he’s just, in his words, he goes, ‘Hey Shotty, I didn’t play my best game.’ I think that, unfortunately, none of us played our best game. So that’s real. But I don’t worry about George and his love for football and playing this game.”
Schottenheimer’s words reflected his confidence in Pickens, and he deserves the credit for taking responsibility.