The Dallas Cowboys have already acknowledged that signing George Pickens isn't going to happen overnight, but that didn't stop them from extending Javonte Williams before he could reach free agency.
It’s strange living in a world where the Cowboys got ahead of the market at a position and set the table for other deals to follow. They’re usually reactionary, which made it a pleasant surprise to see them take care of Williams weeks before the legal tampering period.
Keeping Williams was a no-brainer. He’s not only a terrific running back, but he loves being in Dallas, and his teammates clearly feel the same way about him. Naturally, he wants to keep the offense intact.
When Jerry Jones called to congratulate Williams on the new contract, Williams quietly challenged the team's owner and general manager to sign Pickens, per Nick Eatman of DallasCowboys.com
"Yeah when Mr. Jones called me, I was like … Keep GP, too," Williams said.
Dallas Cowboys RB Javonte Williams wants Jerry Jones to keep George Pickens
As if Cowboys fans needed another reason to love Williams. The 25-year-old is an absolute bulldog on the field, but he's one of the more soft-spoken players on the roster. He's a 'keep my head down and do my job" type who carries himself like a consummate pro.
That Williams stepped outside his comfort zone to nudge Jones toward keeping Pickens speaks volumes. And it echoes the sentiments shared by Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb.
Prescott has doubled and tripled down on wanting Pickens to stick around, even going on the record that he'll get involved if he feels that it's necessary. What that involvement looks like remains to be seen, but it'd likely involve Prescott talking some sense into the Joneses.
Lamb, meanwhile, went on a legendary media run during Super Bowl week, recruiting Pickens at every turn.
The superstar receiver is the leader of the George Pickens fan club and had a drop-the-mic moment when he said he wouldn't mind if Pickens got a bigger contract than the one he signed in August of 2024. Lamb knows how the market works -- it's always next man up. And he already got paid.
If franchise-tagging Pickens is inevitable, all Cowboys fans ask is that a deal be signed, sealed, and delivered by the July 15 deadline. In a perfect world, the contract gets done before the NFL Draft, and Pickens is a full participant in the offseason program, but that feels like wishful thinking.
Prescott, Lamb, and now Williams have all challenged Jones publicly to keep Pickens. To say the pressure is on would be an understatement.