The Cowboys made a big gamble when they traded for George Pickens. He clearly had all the talent and physical tools in the world, but he had made the headlines for his antics and tantrums more often than for his stellar play.
That's why it was easy to understand that GM Jerry Jones chose to take a cautious approach with him. He didn't give him a contract extension right away, and motivated him to earn his new paycheck with his play. That was the right call, but it might end up being quite costly for this organization.
George Pickens is Playing His Way Into a Big Contract
Pickens has been one of the best wide receivers in the game this season. Considering that, it only makes sense that he looks for a massive pay raise in his next deal, and, according to Spotrac CEO Michael Ginnitti, his baseline just went up:
"Cowboys WR George Pickens' recent surge has elevated his baseline market valuation in our system up to $31.25M per year," Ginnitti wrote on X. "The 24-year-old now projects toward a 4-year, $125M contract extension."
Pickens is posting career highs all across the board. He ranks second in the league with 1,142 receiving yards and third with eight touchdown receptions. He's also tied for the seventh-most catches (73).
Contrary to the initial narrative, Pickens doesn't only do his damage with slant routes. He's left defensive backs in the dust with go routes, and Brian Schottenheimer has lined him up all over the field, both in the slot and outside.
It had been six years since the Cowboys last had two players with at least 1,000 receiving yards (Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup), and Pickens has clearly gotten along just fine with CeeDee Lamb, creating one of the deadliest one-two punches in the game.
This will continue to be Lamb's team, but Pickens might be closer to being 1B than CeeDee serving as the Batman to his Robin. He stepped up big time in Lamb's absence, thriving as the team's de facto primary pass catcher for weeks.
Pickens' history of tantrums and power struggles is concerning. Still, perhaps moving to Arlington was the wake-up call he needed to get his act together and finally live up to his incredible potential. There will be some character questions, and money might be tight after the Quinnen Williams trade. Even so, the Cowboys will still need to jump the gun sooner rather than later, as his asking price will only go up if he continues to play this way.