The George Pickens trade already looks like one of the most important moves of the Cowboys’ recent history, and the momentum around it is only growing. Since arriving from Pittsburgh, Pickens has given Dallas the true second elite receiver the offense has been missing, turning games like the comeback win over Philadelphia into proof-of-concept for a 2026 Super Bowl push.
The flip side is brutal for the Steelers, who now watch a player they could not keep aligned with Mike Tomlin become a centerpiece of another franchise’s future while questions about their own direction keep piling up.
Inside the building, there is zero appetite to let that future slip away. Speaking on 105.3 The Fan, owner Jerry Jones made it clear he does not envision Pickens in any uniform but a star.
Reporters Joseph Hoyt and DLLS Cowboys relayed the same message from Jones: he “doesn’t see George Pickens playing anywhere else” next season and “doesn't see George Pickens anywhere else but playing in Dallas in 2026.”
Jones went even further, saying that at the moment the Cowboys “have two No. 1 receivers and that’s just exceptional right at the time when… our quarterback is probably the best he’s ever been, and there’s more there.”
Those comments cut straight to the negotiating table that awaits after the season. Dallas essentially stole Pickens for a future third-rounder, and after watching him dominate high-leverage snaps with Dak Prescott, Jones knows that letting the relationship drift toward uncertainty would undo that advantage.
Whether it is an extension or the franchise tag, the tone from the top suggests that keeping Pickens has become non-negotiable in Dallas’ roster planning.
The urgency is heightened by how quickly Pickens has become indispensable. He is already playing through knee and calf issues, missing a walkthrough alongside KaVontae Turpin after the win over the Eagles, even as the staff remains optimistic he will go on Thanksgiving against the Chiefs.
In a season where Dallas finally looks like it has the firepower to scare anyone, you can see why Jones is drawing a line in the sand. The Cowboys believe they now have the passing trio, Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and Pickens, that can carry them back to true contender status, and they are not interested in letting another team benefit from that investment.
