The Cowboys have built something dangerous on the outside, and they may already know it won’t come cheap to keep.
CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens give Dak Prescott two true No. 1 receivers, a pairing that could make Dallas a problem for defenses all season long. But executive vice president Stephen Jones made it clear that the bigger question is what happens after that.
“I don’t know of any teams that really can pay two top receivers top of the market,” Jones said on the DLLS Cowboys podcast. “So that’s gonna be a real difficult situation as we move forward.”
For the moment, Dallas has delayed the hard part. Pickens is set to play the 2026 season on the $27.298 million franchise tag after a big year that included 1,429 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. The Cowboys are not rushing into a long-term deal, and the message is simple: prove it again.
Jones said Pickens seems to understand exactly what’s at stake.
“George is really wanting to put back-to-back years on top of one another so it’ll help his market,” Jones said.
That’s the tension hanging over this offense. Lamb is already locked into one of the richest receiver contracts in football, averaging $34 million with three years left on his deal. If Pickens follows up his previous production with another elite season, his next contract could land in the same neighborhood.
Dallas has seen how teams can make it work. Cincinnati has Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins under premium deals, though doing that takes real cap gymnastics. The Cowboys are not there yet, but the math is easy to see coming.
Right now, the focus is on what this group can do together. Prescott has Lamb and Pickens outside, Jake Ferguson gives him another reliable option at tight end, and Ryan Flournoy adds depth. That combination gives Dallas plenty of firepower and could cause headaches across the NFC.
Still, every explosive Pickens game only pushes the eventual price higher.
The Cowboys wanted another season of proof before making a long-term commitment. If Pickens gives them exactly that, Dallas could be staring at the expensive decision Jones already described.
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