Cowboys, Pickens in Contract Standoff

0:00On April 6, the Dallas Cowboys pulled off a slick move last May, trading a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027-day-3. Swap to snag wide receiver George Pickens from the Pittsburgh Steelers. They needed a boost for their passing attack, impairing him with CD-LAM paid off big time as Pickens hit all pro-level in his fourth year. A year later, contract talks are heating up, with Pickens pushing for top-market money while the Cowboys play cool. As a restricted free agent, he can't just sign elsewhere, without Dallas getting two first-round picks back, giving the team total control. Fans and analysts see this as classic Cowboys drama, but the power dynamic favors Dallas Hard. Pickens cleaned up his act from Pittsburgh days, showing a big on the field despite some off-field hiccups like tardiness. The real edge comes from the franchise tag. Dallas already tagged him for 2026 at 27.3 million, way below elite deals, and they could tag again in 20.

1:0027 for 32.8 million, or even a third time, at 47.2 million in 2028. Bottom line. The Cowboys could lock him up for 4 years at around 111 million total, averaging just 27.7 million. A season still is still. Pickens might hold in during camp to push back, but that risks his rep-long term. Leaving Dallas firmly in the driver's seat.