The Dallas Cowboys have made no secret of their admiration for George Pickens, but the question remains: will that be enough to secure his long-term future with the team?
This offseason, Pickens is the centerpiece for Dallas, and the franchise plans to place the franchise tag on him, setting his earnings at around $28 million for 2026. The clock is ticking, with a deadline of July 15 for the Cowboys and Pickens to hammer out a long-term deal. If they fail to reach an agreement by then, Pickens will play under the franchise tag for the season.
The Cowboys have a couple of months to negotiate the details of a new contract if they want Pickens to stay for the long haul. It's hard to imagine Pickens settling for anything less than $30 million annually. A four-year, $120 million deal seems like a reasonable expectation.
One of the sticking points could be whether Pickens wants to surpass CeeDee Lamb's salary. If so, negotiations could become more complex.
So why hasn't there been much movement on Pickens' deal, especially with Javonte Williams being the first Cowboy to secure his future this offseason? Cowboys COO Stephen Jones explains, "It just takes time.
We want Pickens here. We think the world of him, and he wants to be here too."
There's been some misconception that Williams' contract somehow affects Pickens' situation negatively. That's simply not true. Dallas can create room for Pickens' $28 million tag, and if they reach a long-term deal by July 15, his cap hit could shrink significantly.
Williams' three-year, $24 million deal is structured to minimize his 2026 cap hit to $3.95 million, so there's no conflict between the two contracts.
Stephen Jones is saying all the right things, which is music to the ears of George and Cowboys fans. However, history has shown that these situations can be tricky. We've seen it with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and last offseason's Micah Parsons saga.
While Dallas is optimistic, fans remain cautious, hoping for a drama-free offseason. Until a deal is finalized, every interaction with the media is likely to circle back to one pressing question about Pickens' future.