The Dallas Cowboys have a history of controversial contract decisions, notably with Micah Parsons, where their reluctance to meet his demands led to a trade to the Green Bay Packers, who then signed him to a record-breaking deal. 

This pattern of mishandling contracts may repeat with George Pickens unless the Cowboys act swiftly to secure his future with the team. 

Several factors complicate the decision to offer Pickens the contract he seeks. The Cowboys already committed $136 million over four years to CeeDee Lamb in August 2024, making the prospect of two high-cost wide receivers challenging.

Nick Eatman, writing for the Cowboys’ official website, suggests Pickens could command an even larger deal than Lamb.

“And yes, Pickens is represented by the same agency as Micah Parsons, but that doesn’t mean it will be the same situation. But just remember this, if you try to sign a player early, any agent is going to project the rest of the season. Right now, you’re looking at Pickens catching around 75 passes for 1300 yards and about 12 TDs – that’s just a projection for the rest of the season. What else would an agent have to use? So that being said, it’s not going to be cheap right now either,” Eatman wrote.

“And the problem is, the money you have to give Pickens might be more than CeeDee’s current contract and you know that won’t go over that well.”

Paying Pickens more than Lamb, while not unthinkable given the current market, could strain the Cowboys’ roster budget. With nearly $300 million tied up in two wide receivers, letting Pickens walk might be the more prudent financial move, despite his impressive performance.

However, the idea of letting Pickens walk just feels wrong. He has caught 36 passes for 607 yards and six touchdowns so far in seven games this season.

Only time will tell, but this will be a situation to watch very closely throughout the rest of the season and heading into the 2026 NFL offseason.