Cowboys' George Pickens Shares Salary Expectations for Next Contract

George Pickens was one of the biggest stories of the offseason for the Dallas Cowboys. He had the best campaign of his career in 2025, which was his first year with the franchise. He was then scheduled for free agency, but never hit the open market since Dallas used the franchise tag to keep him in town.

There was speculation that Pickens could holdout in an attempt to force the Cowboys to negotiate a long-term contract, but that never happened. While he did miss voluntary OTAs, Pickens was on time and ready to go for mandatory minicamp.

Since he didn't participate in OTAs, his work was limited during minicamp as the Cowboys were working mostly on conditioning with him. In training camp, that hasn't been the case. Pickens has been at full speed and is standing out as one of the best players on the offense.

That means the Cowboys got exactly what they wanted by using the tag: a highly motivated Pickens who is ready to prove he deserves a long-term contract. But what exactly does he expect to see in his next deal? Pickens answered that very question when asked by CBS Sports' Bryant McFadden, saying he should be paid similarly to the rest of the top wideouts in the game.

“Definitely something that the other guys are getting, you know what I mean, cause that’s all I can really look forward to. I can’t really ask for nothing too crazy, but just what I see. So definitely somewhere where the other guys are getting," Pickens said.

What range could George Pickens expect?

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens stretches before practice at the Ford Center at the Star Training Facility. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There have been multiple new contracts signed that Pickens could be referring to. Here's a look at the five most recent extensions for top-tier wideouts.

Chris Olave, New Orleans Saints
Four-years, $132 million
$33 million average per year
$90 million guaranteed

Drake London, Atlanta Falcons
Four-years, $141 million
$35.25 million average per year
$100 million guaranteed

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks
Four-years, $168.6 million
$42.15 million average per year
$120 million guaranteed

Garrett Wilson, New York Jets
Four-years, $130 million
$32.5 million average per year
$90 million guaranteed

Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
Four-years, $161 million
$40.25 million average per year
$112 million guaranteed

Extending Pickens would be difficult for the Cowboys to pull off since they're already paying CeeDee Lamb an average of $34 million. Based on what other elite wide receivers are making, he could realistically ask for more than that, which could create another set of problems.

Dallas has suggested they would love to find a way to keep Pickens long-term, but doing so could lead to Lamb seeking a new deal. Of course, that concern only happens if Pickens has another strong season, which is a problem the front office would love to be faced with.

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