The Dallas Cowboys have whiffed on several trades in recent memory, including deals for Jonathan Mingo, Kenneth Murray, and Kaiir Elam. These were all once highly thought of players who the Cowboys believed would fit better in their system. And with Elam already released, it wouldn’t be a surprise if all three were off the roster before 2026.
But one trade that has worked out well for Dallas has been the acquisition of George Pickens. He has already set career highs in receptions (78), yards (1,179) and touchdowns (8), and there are still four games left on the schedule. The Cowboys stole one of the very best receivers in the league, and all it cost them was a third-round pick in next year’s draft.
One of the big discussions surrounding George Pickens and the Cowboys is whether they will keep the 24-year-old receiver next year, and does it makes sense to pay two big-money receivers. The Eagles just won a Super Bowl paying two receivers, and the Lions, who the Cowboys just lost to, are also paying two high-end wide receivers. It can be done, but the Cowboys must decide how much they are willing to tolerate before giving Pickens a new deal.
Cowboys have a massive decision to make with George Pickens
For the most part, Pickens has been a model citizen for the Cowboys. There have been a handful of unnecessary penalties, and his one-drive suspension against the Raiders wasn’t a great look, but those are all things you can live with when you have a player as talented as Pickens.
But his performance against the Lions was unlike anything we have seen this year. Pickens looked disinterested in the game, jogging through routes, only putting his mouthpiece in on passing downs (a clear tell for the defense). For a player who has been so widely productive this season, it was a big change for the former second-round pick from Georgia.
It was performances like these that ultimately led to the Steelers trading away Pickens. Maybe the most famous example came against the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football in Week 5, where a similar performance happened as he just wasn’t into the game. At the end of the contest, you might remember him pulling Jourdan Lewis’ facemask after the conclusion of the game.
At some point, the Steelers felt like the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze and decided to move on. The Cowboys are getting a much more productive player this season and the incidents are few-and-far between, but they have happened. And of course, it’s fair to wonder what might happen when he’s not in a contract year.
The Cowboys would be wise to keep Pickens because the talent outweighs the issues and the offense can reach incredible heights with him and CeeDee Lamb on the field. But this is a player who the Cowboys still need to figure out, if that’s even possible. By all accounts, one of the biggest problems with Pickens is that you never know quite what you are going to get on a day-by-day basis.
Dallas has plenty of options when it comes to Pickens, including the franchise tag, a short-term contract extension, etc. And we shouldn’t overreact to one poor performance, but this was a reminder as to why he was available for such a cheap price this May. There are four games left in the season for Pickens to prove that this was just a bad day and one that should be forgotten. But considering his history, that’s easier said than done.
The Cowboys have historically put up with a lot when it comes to players, especially if they can produce on the field. But if the production starts to dip and the attitude is hurting the team, that’s when this could get messy. At some point, the Cowboys will need to decide how much they are willing to tolerate from Pickens.
Another performance like we saw on Thursday might be enough for the front office to reconsider their plans on a long-term extension.