After a quiet couple of games, George Pickens is back to being George Pickens against the Los Angeles Chargers. In the first half alone, the Dallas Cowboys' star wide receiver caught four passes for 86 yards and a touchdown, reminding everyone that he's still a great player.
With the season drawing to a close, the Cowboys will soon have to make a decision on George Pickens’ future. There has already been plenty of discourse about whether Jerry Jones should be willing to pay him, and it continued on the FOX halftime show.
Michael Strahan and Howie Long got into a spirited conversation about Pickens. While both acknowledged that he's a great player, they are hesitant to give him a big contract.
"Pickens makes everything look easy," Strahan said." I just wish there weren't questions about if he got paid, how would he act. There have been a few things that make you a little scared about giving him that big contract."
"I would franchise him, just to see. Even if you franchise a guy, you give him a lot of money. You're looking for years. I don't want you to behave, and then when you get paid, you shut it down. That's the problem. This is a job, just like any other job you have to show up and be responsible. And if you're not, I'll just keep giving you one-year deals."
Michael Strahan and Howie Long think the Cowboys should franchise tag George Pickens
Long echoed Strahan's sentiment, though he would be open to extending Pickens mid-season if he keeps his head on straight.
"What do you do with him?" Long asked. "Dak (Prescott) is throwing the ball as well as he ever has, and to have two guys like that on the outside is enviable . . . I would franchise him. I would give him the indication that, depending on how things go, in the middle of the season, we'll redo your deal."
The vast majority of Cowboys fans want the front office to pay Pickens and not look back. Not only has Pickens announced himself as one of the best WRs in football, but his game is a perfect fit with Dak Prescott, who, as Strahan pointed out, is playing the best of his career. Wouldn't it make sense to keep that momentum?
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Yes, but Dallas would be taking a calculated risk by locking Pickens down long-term. It’s fair to question whether his intensity would wane after getting paid. That reality is far more common among professional athletes than most fans care to admit.
Pickens has been on his best behavior in Dallas, even if he’s been late to meetings on a few occasions. The question, though, is how much of that can be attributed to him being in a contract year.
On the other hand, he appears fully bought in, has grown close to CeeDee Lamb, and is an exceptional player. Most importantly, paying Pickens would extend the Cowboys' window with Dak Prescott. It should be as simple as that, but Pickens' history makes you consider every variable.
Maybe the franchise tag is the answer.