Last offseason, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb told reporters, “we’re both ones,” when asked about a potential WR1 competition between him and newly arrived George Pickens. Both went on to have stellar seasons and enjoyed playing with each other. Fast forward to this offseason, and the same WR1 conversation has resurfaced. But one person who doesn’t want to hear any part of it is Michael Irvin.

“[CeeDee Lamb’s] job is to not just play his great game, but to get great games out of the people he’s playing with,” Irvin said on the DLLS Cowboys podcast.

Irvin drew a parallel to his own playing days, when he shared the field with Alvin Harper. The former was aptly named “The Playmaker” as he drew double coverage, made highlight catches, and dominated the box scores. Harper, on the other hand, was the deep threat that left defenders straggling on the turf with his speed. The aerial offense balanced itself out because they complemented and competed with each other. That’s what Irvin sees in Lamb and Pickens now. Irvin believes these differences between the two young WRs now matter because them complementing each other also helps bring out the best in franchise quarterback Dak Prescott.

“I want you pushing me like that, and I want to push you like that,” Irvin said. “But what’s most important in all of it is that they’re doing it together. Even when they got caught out, and everybody was mad, ‘What are they doing?’ I said, ‘I don’t give a damn what they’re doing. All I know is they were doing it together.

“There are things that George Pickens does better than CeeDee Lamb. That’s just the reality,” Irvin said. “But there are things that CeeDee does better than George Pickens. George Pickens and CeeDee remind me of a lot of Alvin Harper and I. Ceedee can catch everything 20 and under; he got all of that. And GP going to knock the top off that buddy. And if you back too far up, he’ll catch it up underneath, too. That was Alvin Harper’s role. So now I don’t split those two.”

Hilariously, even off the gridiron, the WR duo has built a unique bond, so much so that if one gets into trouble, the other does too.

Notably, head coach Brian Schottenheimer benched Pickens and Lamb for a series last season. The day before their Week 11 game against the Las Vegas Raiders, Lamb and Pickens had missed curfew. The latter, meanwhile, had missed the team bus on the day of the game.

But camaraderie aside, the numbers also make for a good debate. Last season, Pickens led Dallas in receiving yards (1,429) and had a career-best year himself, making the case for his WR1 tag stronger. When he shared the field with Lamb, he drew coverage so Lamb could get open. On his own, he hurdled over defenders and hauled in nine touchdowns. But this isn’t anything new for Lamb. Even after missing three games with a high ankle sprain, Lamb still posted his fifth straight 1,000+ yards season for Dallas

Though the one point that pushes this debate to Lamb’s favor is the money. Lamb is locked in until 2028 with the $136 million extension he signed in 2024. And Pickens will be playing this season under his $27.3 million franchise tag. This is where Pickens loses the WR1 battle. Lamb has a long-term deal, but Pickens has to prove himself for one more year before Dallas decides whether they want a marriage out of this. For Irvin, that’s a masterstroke by owner/general manager Jerry Jones.

Michael Irvin on Pickens’ franchise tag

“I thought Jerry right now has played this thing out perfectly,” Irvin said on the podcast, talking about the franchise tag.

The Cowboys placed a nonexclusive franchise tag on George Pickens, meaning his camp had complete authority to find him a better deal in free agency. They followed it up by closing the door on any long-term extension talk this season. Pickens held off on signing his tag and didn’t see a single team up the ante. Ultimately, that $27.3 million was all he could have gotten out of this season. This move by the Dallas front office, in Irvin’s opinion, saved a lot of drama.

“Jerry put an exclusive franchise tag on George Pickens and allowed nobody to have any conversations with George Pickens,” Irvin said. “Then you have David Mulugheta (Pickens’ agent). Everybody out here should have laid a number out that was not real and unfathomable. ‘Oh, you got to pay on top of JSN numbers that’ll go crazy.”

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba got a $168 million, four-year deal this offseason, making him the highest-paid receiver, averaging $42.15 million yearly. For many analysts, that was the ballpark for Pickens’ long-term deal. Instead of that massive payday, Pickens got a harsh reality check instead.

“Jerry said, ‘No, I’m going to keep the right to retain him, but allow everybody to negotiate with him,’” Irvin added. “Nobody ever threw out those crazy numbers. You see why? You know why? Because we gave you a chance to see some of reality.”

But none of this–the contract, the WR1 tag–matters to CeeDee Lamb. Even when George Pickens’ future was up in the air before signing the tag, Lamb had declared he didn’t care about Pickens potentially earning more than him.

“I just want my man to get what he deserves,” he’d said.

The contract never materialized. Still, Lamb and Pickens are locked in, at least for this year. The franchise tag protected the team from a fight that would’ve hurt their season. And for Michael Irvin, this offseason without any franchise-altering drama was the best the Cowboys Nation could have asked for. As the Playmaker says it himself: “We may have a peaceful offseason that’ll give us a peaceful preseason that can give us a real damn good season.”

With the roster now looking well-balanced, it is the players’ time to deliver for the franchise. Having one of the deadliest offensive trios certainly helps, but it will be interesting to see how the Cowboys can collaboratively take the team back to its former glory