Jerry Jones: Cowboys Aren't Currently Negotiating a George Pickens Extension

PHOENIX — For the Dallas Cowboys, a George Pickens extension should be a sure thing.

It should be. But … with Jerry Jones, we know to expect the unexpected.

Pickens is among the league’s top wideouts and the best WR2 in the NFL, even when comparing him to the likes of Tee Higgins and DeVonta Smith — both of whom are playing on their second contracts. In his first season with Dallas, Pickens had 93 catches for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns — and he took over as WR1 when CeeDee Lamb dealt with an injury.

It makes sense for the Cowboys to retain a rare talent like Pickens, even given that they’ve already heavily invested in quarterback Dak Prescott and Lamb. That said, it seemed like a clearcut decision for Dallas to sign All-Pro edge Micah Parsons to a huge deal last offseason — but the Cowboys instead elected to trade him after contract talks broke down. 

So with Pickens set to play on a franchise tag in 2026, anything can happen.

"We have contacted the agent, but we haven’t been [negotiating]," Jones said Tuesday at the NFL owners meetings when asked about Pickens’ contract. "Make no mistake about it — we have long-term plans in mind for Pickens."

In his first season with Dallas, George Pickens had career-highs with 1,429 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, earning Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors for the first time. (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

That’s a sentiment Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer echoed.

"We love GP," Schottenheimer said Monday. "We have plans to keep GP here for a long time. So we’ll let the business side of this play out — and we’ll see where it goes."

OK, so back to the business side. If the Cowboys have long-term plans for the receiver, then why hasn’t Jones proceeded with negotiations for an extension?

"I don’t want to get into our planning and structure of our team and our cap, but the franchise tag is an integral part of all teams and certainly an integral part of our strategy over the next two or three years as we look at how to keep the best players," Jones said.

Agent David Mulugheta, who represents Pickens, has a history of having players hold out when they’re facing a franchise tag. Does Jones anticipate that becoming an issue for Pickens and Dallas?

"We all play under the rules of the collective bargaining agreement. … That’s what you sign up for in the NFL," Jones said. "The franchise tag is there for a purpose. It’s there to benefit the process as you put your team together."

Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones said that, going forward, Jerry Jones would clarify if a player wanted negotiations to go through an agent — or directly between Jones and the player. Last offseason, Jones tried to negotiate directly with Parsons, which was how the talks soured. The situation got so bad that it triggered a trade to Green Bay. 

Has Pickens provided guidance on if he’d like to speak with Jones directly or whether he’d like to work through his agent?

"Guidance isn’t the word for it," Jones said. "There’s no issue with me talking to agents."

If he plays on the tag, Pickens will effectively be on a one-year deal worth $27.8 million. Had he hit the open market, likely as the top free agent, his average annual value would have far exceeded that number — especially given that Colts receiver Alec Pierce signed a four-year, $114 million extension ($28.5 million per year). Simply, Pickens is a better player than Pierce. Pickens would likely land less money that Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who just inked an extension with Seattle at $42.15 million per year. 

To complicate the matter even more, Lamb is the team’s WR1 and is making $34 million per year. It’s unlikely the Cowboys will want to pay Pickens more than Lamb.

There could be tension, with Pickens getting underpaid on the tag — and not getting the long-term financial security he likely desires. But Schottenheimer seems to be doing what he can to keep things positive between the Cowboys and their All-Pro receiver.

"I had conversations with George," Schottenheimer said. "He’s doing great. He and CeeDee have been taking a lot of trips together. When I text him now, I kind of text them both. … [Pickens] is training with Dak."

When asked about getting Pickens to attend the team’s voluntary workouts this offseason, Schottenheimer said, "I haven’t pushed that on him." That’s likely not hugely consequential, given how well Pickens fit into the Dallas offense under Schottenheimer and Prescott. 

"What I learned about him was, he liked to be moved around," Schottenheimer said. "And we kind of learned that when CeeDee was out, quite honestly, because CeeDee's been the guy we've moved around. So when we had that stretch where he went crazy, we were moving him around. So he's excited about that. He's looking forward to that."

The question now is: Will Pickens be moving to a new team like Parsons did last year?