The Dallas Cowboys have plenty of holes to fill on their roster this offseason, as the defense let down what was an offense firing on all cylinders under the guidance of quarterback Dak Prescott. While addressing the pieces of the puzzle on that side of the ball will undoubtedly be of utmost importance to owner/general manager Jerry Jones and the front office, there is still the matter of wideout George Pickens and his impending free agency that must be figured out one way or another.
After acquiring Pickens before the start of the 2025 campaign, Dallas knew they would have, at the least, a talented tandem between the former Georgia Bulldogs standout and All-Pro CeeDee Lamb. What the Cowboys didn't anticipate was Pickens firmly establishing himself as the 1B to Lamb's 1A on the outside.
Now, Pickens has more leverage than he could have dreamed of upon his arrival in Dallas after reeling in 93 receptions for a team-high 1,429 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. What that means for his contract negotiations moving forward remains to be seen. However, a more than adequate alternative option may have fallen into the Cowboys' laps on Wednesday in soon-to-be former San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk.
Brandon Aiyuk Should be on Cowboys' Radar as Pickens Fallback Option
Niners GM John Lynch all but stuck a fork in Aiyuk's tenure in San Francisco on Wednesday by suggesting the veteran would not be returning to the Bay Area in 2026.
“It’s safe to say he’s played his last snap as a Niner,” Lynch stated, via ESPN's Nick Wagoner. Wagnoer added that a transaction involving Aiyuk will occur at some point, but the most important takeaway from Lynch's comments is that the Niners have elected to move on.
This opens the door for the Cowboys to, if necessary, take another swing at a veteran wideout who could complement Lamb and Prescott in the passing game. Given the way that Prescott helped Pickens take himself from being viewed as a talented player who had flaws, to a top WR on the free agent market, who is to say he wouldn't be capable of doing the same with Aiyuk?
At 27 years old, Aiyuk should still have plenty of good football left ahead of him. Given that the former Arizona State standout racked up 1,342 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on 75 receptions in his last healthy year during the 2023 campaign, the veteran could present Dallas with a low-cost, high-upside option should negotiations with Pickens become too rich for Jones' taste (Spotrac is projecting an average annual value of $30.6 million).
Whether it is Pickens, Aiyuk, or another wide receiver who hasn't been identified as of yet, having Prescott perform the way he did during the 2025 campaign should only make the Cowboys a more desirable landing spot for free agent receivers moving forward.