The Dallas Cowboys are playing a dangerous game with one of their star pass catchers. By not extending George Pickens, they still risk that he won't show up for training camp and drag his contract saga into the season.
However, even if that's the case, Dak Prescott should be more than set in 2026. He still has CeeDee Lamb, one of the most disruptive offensive forces in the game, and he's back to full strength after missing time in 2025.
Still, not even that injury was enough to slow down the former first-round pick. As shown in Pro Football Focus' latest 'explosive player' rankings, Lamb is No. 3 in that regard behind only Justin Jefferson and Derrick Henry. Bradley Locker of PFF didn't ignore Lamb's slight hiccup in 2025, but overall, he's been one of the best players in the past five years.
CeeDee Lamb is a top five 'explosive' player according to PFF
"Although the last two years haven’t been Lamb’s best — he’s dropped 19 passes in that span — he’s still been one of football’s premier wideouts because of his explosiveness. Over the last five campaigns, Lamb’s 175 catches of at least 15 yards trail only (Justin) Jefferson.
What’s also often overlooked regarding Lamb’s profile is his effectiveness as a rusher. Indeed, he’s amassed 15 explosive rushes since 2021, which ties for the second-most at his position."
PFF considers rushes of 10+ yards and receptions of 15+ yards to be explosive plays. Despite missing five combined games in the past two seasons, Lamb has 190 of such, just one fewer than Henry and four fewer than Jefferson. It's safe to assume he'd lead the list if he hadn't missed those games.
Lamb's name isn't mentioned among the league's elite as often as it should. The conversation often revolves around Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase, and now Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. However, while others like Tyreek Hill, Cooper Kupp, or Davante Adams came and went, Lamb continued to deliver every single year.
Admittedly, Lamb wasn't as heavily involved as the fans would've wanted earlier in his career, but he's now established himself as the clear-cut alpha, and not even having Pickens by his side will change that.
Last season marked the first time in four years he failed to reach 100 receptions, but he still topped 1,000 receiving yards. He's the ultimate big-play specialist, and his ability to create separation either with speed or crisp route-running is second to none in the league.
Lamb can do it all. He can be a deep-play threat or a possession receiver who keeps the chain in motion, and his ability to dominate in contested-catch situations makes him a perennial mismatch in the end zone as well.
The Cowboys are risking losing Pickens because they know they're more than set at wide receiver. Of course, keeping them both there for the long run would obviously be much better. However, if the salary cap forces them to choose, they'll always stick with their former first-round pick, someone who has everything he needs to be this team's all-time leader in most receiving categories once it's all said and done.
Add us as a preferred source on Google