A big reason why so much is riding on the Dallas Cowboys' 2026 season is that the roster could look different this time next year. George Pickens headlines a free agency class that also includes DeMarvon Overshown, Cobie Durant, T.J. Bass, Ryan Flournoy, and Brevyn Spann-Ford.
Cowboys fans should live in the moment rather than with an eye on 2027. After all, nobody wants to envision a world where George Pickens isn't repping the star.
Maybe we don't have to.
Appearing on 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday morning, Jerry Jones left little doubt that Pickens will be a Cowboy next year (h/t Jon Machota, The Athletic).
"I'm excited (about) what he has to do with us this year and in coming years, and I emphasize that, in coming years," Jones said.
It sounds like the Cowboys will keep George Pickens for at least the 2027 season
Jones emphasizing "coming years" strongly signals that Pickens remains in Dallas' long-term plans through at least 2027. That would give the Cowboys two more full seasons of the All-Pro receiver. It's by far the clearest sign yet that Dallas intends to keep Pickens beyond 2026.
The Cowboys' de facto general manager stopped short of promising a multi-year extension, but it’s clear Dallas is more than willing to run the franchise tag back in 2027 if they have to.
A massive 2026 campaign could still convince Jerry and Stephen to break out the checkbook, but for now, fans can rest easy knowing the Cowboys seemingly have zero intention of letting Pickens out of the building.
The trickiest part about keeping Pickens is that CeeDee Lamb is already under contract at $34 million per year, which is the sixth-highest among wide receivers. Lamb's $67 million in fully guaranteed money trails only Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
If Pickens has another monster year, he’d be in a position to sign a contract bigger than Lamb’s. Maybe not in terms of guaranteed money, but he could easily command more than $34 million per year.
It won't be easy, but the Cowboys can afford to pay George Pickens
The question is not whether the Cowboys can afford to pay Lamb and Pickens. It's how debilitating that would be to the rest of the roster, specifically the defensive side of the ball. This team already has a host of players making top-of-the-market money.
Player | AAV | Position rank |
|---|---|---|
Dak Prescott | $60 million | 1st |
Quinnen Williams | $35.3 million | 2nd |
CeeDee Lamb | $34 million | 6th |
Tyler Smith | $24 million | 2nd |
DaRon Bland | $22.5 million | 10th |
Jake Ferguson | $12.5 million | T-7th |
Brandon Aubrey | $7 million | T-1st |
None of those players are going anywhere. The Cowboys had an easy out in Bland and Ferguson's contracts in 2027, but restructuring their deals last week erased that possibility.
There's room to fit Pickens, but the front office would have to sacrifice some of its spending power on the middle and bottom of the roster. That would make it harder to build a balanced team, but if that's the cost of keeping a talent like Pickens, isn't it worth it?
Six months from now, there's a very good chance that Pickens is universally viewed as a top-five receiver, potentially even better than Lamb. That is no knock on Lamb. He's outstanding and a no-doubt top-10 player at the position.
However, Pickens was arguably more valuable than No. 88 in his first year with the team. The Cowboys plan to move him around more, so his role is only getting bigger.
His chemistry with Prescott should only grow, too, and this marks the first time in Pickens' career that he'll enter Week 1 with the same starting quarterback as the previous season.
It may all add up to another All-Pro season from Pickens.
After trading Micah Parsons -- albeit for different reasons -- it seems Jones has no appetite for watching another All-Pro talent walk out the door. Whether Pickens is tagged or given an extension, don't expect him to be anywhere but Dallas in 2027.
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