In case you were worried about buying that George Pickens jersey for Christmas, you can probably rest easy knowing he's going to be back with the Dallas Cowboys for 2026 and beyond.
The in-season version of HBO's Hard Knocks has given plenty of fantastic insight and behind-the-scenes looks already at things happening all over the NFC East, but the latest episode of the show might have included Jerry Jones accidentally giving away George Pickens' future fate with the team.
And if you're hopeful of Pickens returning, it seems like that may be a foregone conclusion.
Jerry Jones speaking of George Pickens' Cowboys future like it's a foregone conclusion
Here's what Jones had to say in a meeting with the coaching staff about Pickens:
"My picture of him is, for the future, is we've got Superman in terms of his love for competing and playing football. That's what you're getting."
- Jerry Jones (via Hard Knocks on HBO)
Pickens has come under quite a bit of fire recently due to his lack of effort against the Detroit Lions, specifically, and he even had to answer for that in the clip on HBO. Cris Collinsworth and Mike Tirico were having a production meeting with Pickens, and they asked him about the way he played against Detroit.
And to Pickens' credit, he owned up to it, saying he obviously didn't play his best game.
The unfortunate thing is, Pickens had another tough game against Minnesota right after that meeting. He has caught just eight of his last 15 targets overall, and has 70 receiving yards over the past two games. It's no coincidence that the Cowboys have faltered in those games, which were really must-win games after the way this season started.
Even with a win this weekend against the Chargers, the Cowboys only have a two percent chance of making it to the playoffs. That's the reason why Jones has one eye on the future at this point. The Cowboys have to do a lot of salary cap gymnastics this offseason to keep George Pickens around.
Pickens is going to cost a lot of money, even if the Cowboys have to use the franchise tag as a last resort.
But one thing appears clear, which is that Dallas wants Pickens back, and they believe in him as a person. When it comes to massive contract extensions in the NFL, that's really the only thing that matters. How much will these final three games be a determining factor in his future with the Cowboys?
Maybe bigger than anyone realizes.