Wide receiver George Pickens has been one of the more productive receivers in the NFL this year, and it's becoming quite something to watch. CeeDee Lamb has missed three games thus far, so Pickens has been able to feast and try to cover for Lamb being out.
Through six games, the former Pittsburgh Steelers' receiver has hauled in 32 receptions for 525 yards and six touchdowns. Those six touchdowns lead the NFL, and if Pickens can keep this pace up for an entire season, he'd finish with this:
90 receptions
1,488 yards
17 touchdowns
Not only would this be a career-year for Pickens, but he'd finish as one of the most productive wide receivers in the NFL. For the Cowboys, though, they soon might have a tough decision to make, as Pickens' insane production this year is only making him more expensive...
George Pickens is playing good, but perhaps too good for the Cowboys to afford
That is simply the only downside here - the 24-year-old is a free agent following the 2025 NFL Season, and could cash-in big-time from another team. Not only is he on pace to have the best year of his career, but he's still quite young and has a 134.1 passer rating when targeted, according to Pro Football Reference.
With the cap relief coming from trading Micah Parsons, Jerry Jones might have a better shot at extending Pickens, but according to spotrac.com, Pickens' market value is quite high and might actually be more than Jones is willing to pay: five years, $145,552,680 ($29.1m per year)
Nearly $30 million per year for George Pickens, which does feel about right, would make him the ninth highest-paid player at the position on a per-year basis, but one issue here is CeeDee Lamb's contract. Lamb is getting paid an average of $34 million per year, which is the third-most in the NFL.
Would the Dallas Cowboys truly pay two wide receivers top-10 money? Well, with Jerry Jones having the final say, they might, but what about the defense? Dallas is sporting the worst defense in the NFL, and that $29.1 million per year you're paying George Pickens could go to several quality defensive starters.
This is why roster building is so hard in today's NFL - the Cowboys might be in a tough spot here, as the offense is humming, but the defense needs major help. Taking from a strength to fix a weakness might be the more practical solution here, and if Pickens indeed demands around $30 million per season, it might be hard for Jerry Jones to get that deal done.