George Pickens and his contract with the Dallas Cowboys have been a hot topic all offseason. As of today, the star wideout will officially play on the franchise tag as the deadline to give him a contract extension has passed. ESPN analyst Louis Riddick thinks that this could mean it’s his last season with the team.
“They’re just not comfortable going ahead and giving financial security and signing him to a long-term deal,” the analyst said, before later predicting Pickens’ future. “To me, this sounds like a situation that is setting up for 2026 to be George’s last season in Dallas.”
Pickens himself hasn’t publicly stated that he plans to leave in free agency next season. He’s more focused on winning and letting his agent handle his contract situation. Furthermore, the team has seemingly expressed interest in extending him since the Micah Parsons trade.
Cowboys' path to a long-term George Pickens' extension is there
Back in January, after a season of watching Pickens succeed for his team, Jerry Jones shared that an extension for him would’ve had “zero chance” (h/t Joseph Hoyt) with Parsons still on the team.
“The very best part of the trade will come now [and in the future],” Jones said.
If we’re making predictions and taking Jones for his word, which is a hard thing to do, the signs are pointing toward an extension for Pickens in the future. They’ve seemingly cleared the necessary cap space for the deal. But Riddick is right about one thing: Dallas isn't comfortable giving him the financial security just yet.
To be fair to Dallas, though, should they be comfortable giving Pickens a long-term deal right away? It was a great season last year. But it was also his first truly impactful season so far in his young career. Entering year five, the All-Pro needs to prove that he can stack two good ones back-to-back.
Additionally, it’s not like Pickens will be making chump change this season. In fact, he will have the second-highest cap hit on the team next to Dak Prescott per OverTheCap. He can thank other wideouts who have gotten massive deals at the position in recent years for that. So, despite the long-term security, he should still feel financially satisfied.
Maybe Riddick will be proven right, and the situation between Pickens and Dallas will get messy as the season progresses. But as of now, both sides should feel comfortable, and for an extension to be signed immediately after the season ends, should the receiver have another good year, is most certainly on the table.
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