The Dallas Cowboys have played well during Brian Schottenheimer's first season as head coach. Dallas is 3-3-1 heading into Week 7 despite trading away Micah Parsons and missing CeeDee Lamb for multiple weeks. The emergence of George Pickens has helped keep the offense afloat. And it could see him get a huge payday sometime soon.
The Cowboys have reportedly started discussing the possibility of keeping Pickens around on a long-term contract.
“The Cowboys have had internal discussions about a possible extension for receiver George Pickens, to the point where they've been examining the rosters and cap situations of teams like Cincinnati, Miami and Philadelphia, who are all paying multiple high-end receivers,” ESPN's Dan Graziano wrote on Wednesday.
Dallas signed Lamb to a four-year contract worth $136 million back in 2024. The Cowboys do not want to get into an unmanageable financial situation with two high-priced receivers.
Regardless, it sounds like the Cowboys have plenty of time to make up their minds.
“I don't think anything gets done on this until after the season, but Dallas has been happy with Pickens since acquiring him in an offseason trade with Pittsburgh,” Graziano added. “And it is at least considering what it would look like to keep Dak Prescott's wide receiver tandem together.”
Pickens has thrived ever since arriving in Dallas. He has 36 receptions for 607 yards and six touchdowns through seven games. That has him on pace for a career season even with Lamb back competing for targets.
If Pickens continues to play at such a high level, a long-term contract could become inevitable.
What Cowboys' Jerry Jones said about growing George Pickens contract buzz
Jerry Jones briefly spoke about the Pickens situation on 105.3 The FAN on Tuesday.
“There's no reason not to, (and) there's no reason to,” Jones said on a potential Pickens extension per The Athletic's Jon Machota. “I can't give you a why-not, other than the timing might not be good for any of the parties involved. And that has many, many reasons, not only from the player's perspective but from the club's perspective.”
Jones does not sound eager to give Pickens a long-term contract right away, just as Graziano suggested. But that could easily change if Prescott and Pickens continue to thrive together.
For now, Dallas should remain focused on catching up to Philadelphia in the NFC East.
Next up for the Cowboys is a Week 8 matchup against the Broncos.
