Following a 7-9-1 season, the Dallas Cowboys will have plenty of work to do in the offseason. Team owner/GM Jerry Jones has already claimed that money won't be an issue, but the team still needs to abide by the salary cap.
George Pickens' free agency has been a major talking point for most of the season, with some people thinking the Cowboys can't afford to let him go, and others still showing concerns about his character. Whatever the case, one thing's for sure: He just gained more leverage.
Pickens' All-Pro Selection Gives Him More Leverage in Contract Talks
After a breakout season, Pickens was rightfully selected as an All-Pro for the first time in his career. The league announced Saturday morning that he made the second-team All-Pro, along with kicker Brandon Aubrey and KR/RW KaVonte Turpin.
Of course, that was pretty much a formality, given that his production had already done most of the talking. Pickens finished the season with career highs in targets (137), receptions (93), receiving yards (1,429), and touchdowns (9). He averaged 84.1 receiving yards per game and had a career-best 65.0 percent successful catch rate. This was an accolade that Pickens undoubtedly earned.
With CeeDee Lamb missing some games with an injury, Pickens was the Cowboys' primary pass-catcher for most of the season. Even when they were both on the field, there were a few moments when he operated as the team's No. 1 guy.
Then again, Dallas also needs to think things through here. On the one hand, they acquired star DT Quinnen Williams, who's going to make roughly $24 million per season. On the other hand, Pickens has a long history of tantrums and antics, and he was also MIA in two of the biggest games of the season.
The Cowboys could try to place him under the franchise tag, but they would risk getting on his wrong side, and the Pittsburgh Steelers already know what that looks like. Also, using the tag on a wide receiver would cost the franchise around $28 or $29 million, which must be taken into consideration.
Pickens is now projected to get either $153.7 million over five years or $124 million over four years, according to Spotrac. That being said, this new addition to his résumé might lead agent David Mulugheta to try to get a little more. He doesn't have the best relationship with Jerry Jones after the Micah Parsons negotiations, and we could be looking at another long saga between the Cowboys and one of their star players.