The Dallas Cowboys are riding high after their most convincing victory of the 2025 season, dismantling the Las Vegas Raiders 33-16 in Week 11.
Quarterback Dak Prescott was in complete control, and wide receiver George Pickens once again proved why he’s become one of the league’s most dangerous playmakers.
Prescott went 25-for-33 for 268 yards and four touchdowns, spreading the ball with precision. Pickens, meanwhile, torched the Raiders secondary for nine catches, 144 yards, and a score in what has become a routine highlight-reel performance during his first year in Dallas after arriving in an offseason trade from Pittsburgh.
Through 11 games, the 24-year-old has racked up 58 receptions, 908 receiving yards, and seven touchdowns. He has settled in as the clear-cut second option behind CeeDee Lamb and has repeatedly shown he can carry the passing attack when defenses key on Lamb.
That production, however, is about to make life complicated for the Cowboys front office.
Pickens is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, and another month of this pace will put him in line for a massive payday on the open market. Dallas, meanwhile, currently sits dead last in projected 2026 salary-cap space, leaving owner Jerry Jones with some difficult decisions.
Jones has showered Pickens with praise all season but has stayed non-committal when pressed on a long-term extension. On Friday, ESPN’s Todd Archer reported that one option gaining traction inside the building is the franchise tag, a move that would keep Pickens in Dallas for at least one more year at a fully guaranteed salary projected around $28 million, per Over The Cap.
The tag would buy the Cowboys time, but it’s a strategy that frequently breeds resentment from players who prefer long-term security over a one-year prove-it deal.
When asked directly how he would react if the Cowboys placed the tag on him, Pickens kept his answer measured.
“I’d probably have to to wait until that comes. I can’t really see into the future.”
With a high-stakes showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles looming, the Cowboys are finally playing their best football of the year. How they handle Pickens’ future, though, could determine whether this breakout season turns into a long-term partnership or the start of an offseason saga.
