One of the biggest stories of the Dallas Cowboys' 2025 season is whether or not George Pickens will prove to be a rental. With one year remaining on his contract, Dallas was taking a risk adding the pass catcher when they did. Now, there is no question that the price has shot up with Pickens taking advantage of the absence of CeeDee Lamb. The receiver already has 525 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns on the season. What has made the performance so incredible is the lack of pass-catching threats around him.
Pickens has been the focal point of the offense, and still, nothing the opposing defense has done has slowed down his production. This led to Dak Prescott being asked about whether or not he had spoken to Jerry Jones about a possible extension for his new star wideout. The Athletic's Jon Machota reported Prescott's response, “I’ve been a little busy, but I will. … When I run into him in that time of privacy, I’ll make sure." That's an important voice for Pickens to have in his corner.
Jerry Jones Needs to Listen to Dak Prescott and Extend Pickens
The Cowboys need to do whatever it takes to lock in the pass catcher beyond this season. Contracts for Lamb and Prescott have Dallas locked in as hopeful contenders, with a cap situation that would never hold up to a rebuild. Having Pickens and Lamb on the roster would give them the firepower to beat any secondary.
Defensive issues may be the Cowboys' biggest weakness, but there's always some give-and-take there. The old "defense wins championships" adage is dated, and a strong enough offense can overcome struggles on the other side of the ball. With Pickens in the fold and Lamb healthy, this unit absolutely has the potential to hit that "strong enough" threshold.
Despite only getting two games out of Lamb so far, the Cowboys rank No. 4 in the NFL in yards per play. Dak's 104.7 passer rating is one of the best marks of his career. He's averaging 10.9 yards per attempt when targeting Pickens.
Of course, signing an extension isn't simply a matter of wanting to do it. And for as good a QB as Dak is, he's probably not a salary cap expert. Consider the average annual salary on the contracts of last year's top five receiving yard leaders who aren't on rookie deals:
- Ja'Marr Chase: $40.3 million per year
- Justin Jefferson: $35.0 million
- Amon-Ra St. Brown: $30.0 million
- Jerry Jeudy: $17.5 million
- CeeDee Lamb: $34.0 million
Prescott taking such a clear stance doesn't come as a surprise when you consider the impact Pickens has had and the incredible chemistry between the two players. But it's also a big ask from the NFL's highest-paid QB on a yearly basis ($60 million average) whose top receiving option carries the third-highest average among WRs.
Even before factoring in Jerry Jones' poor track record with contract extensions, this one could be hard for the Cowboys to make work.