The Dallas Cowboys need to extend wide receiver George Pickens. Everyone who's a Cowboys fan knows that. And as the saying goes, the best time to get something done is always yesterday. Sunday’s win against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles illuminated Dallas' need for an extension, but not for anything we haven’t seen from Pickens already.
Pickens has taken over as the team’s No. 1 receiver, which seemed unrealistic when the Cowboys traded for him, considering CeeDee Lamb has been the guy for so long. But with Lamb’s inconsistent play after returning from injury, America's Team can’t afford to lock Pickens in for the future. A potential extension has gone from something that would be nice to a key move the Cowboys can't fumble.
Extending George Pickens Must Be Cowboys' Top Priority
The duo of Lamb and Pickens has quickly risen to the top of the league; one can argue they’re the best combo. Before Pickens’ addition, the Cowboys struggled to find a consistent second option opposite Lamb, rotating through the likes of Michael Gallup, Brandin Cooks, and Noah Brown, often having to take a “by committee” approach. So now that owner/general manager Jerry Jones has his guy, why not do everything in your power to keep Pickens
It’s hard to imagine the Cowboys being in the situation they are in now without Pickens. At .500, the playoffs are still a realm of possibility. When Lamb missed time, Pickens was asked to pick up the slack and help lead the league’s best offense alongside quarterback Dak Prescott. In the three full games without Lamb, Pickens totaled 359 yards and four touchdowns on 19 receptions. The offense wouldn’t be what it is without him.
The other side of the equation is the inconsistencies of Lamb, who has struggled with drops, glaringly in the two games against the Eagles. This is not to discredit Lamb as a player because he is still an elite-level player when healthy. However, having Pickens makes up for some of Lamb’s miscues and vice versa.
That is the whole point of having two alpha receivers on the same team. Pickens has proven his ability to show up in the biggest of games and moments so far this season, with and without Lamb. So re-signing Pickens is just as mutually beneficial for both receivers as it would be for the Cowboys as a whole.
The price for Pickens will only continue to rise. Somehow, he is finding ways to outdo himself week by week, leaving Jones & Co. looking like geniuses for the move they made. But, it can’t stop there. The Cowboys' front office needs to extend Pickens sooner rather than later before it’s costfully too late.