George Pickens' Cowboys Price Tag Soars After Drake London-Falcons Deal

The Dallas Cowboys chances of signing George Pickens to a long-term deal dropped after Drake London's extension.

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

George Pickens had the best season of his career in 2025 after being traded to the Dallas Cowboys, which happened to be a contract year for the wide receiver. The Cowboys weren't interested in signing him to a long-term extension, however, with CeeDee Lamb already making an annual average of $34 million per season.

Dallas instead elected to use the franchise tag, kicking the can down the road for another season. Pickens signed the one-year tender, but still wants to sign a multi-year contract with the Cowboys. The chances of that happening seem to be slipping away, especially after Drake London and the Atlanta Falcons agreed to a new deal.

London's new deal is for $141 million over four years, although he could see as much as $150 million with incentives. As for guaranteed money, London will get $100 million. That's an average $35.25 million for London, and could increase to as high as $37.5 million per season.

For Pickens, that number would be the floor for any negotiation. Although with super agent David Mulugheta representing him, it's likely they demand much more than that, especially if Pickens has another strong campaign in 2026.

Comparing George Pickens to Drake London

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens warms up before a game against the Minnesota Vikings. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

London is an excellent receiver, who has been everything Atlanta hoped he would be when they used the eighth overall pick on the USC product. That said, his numbers aren't as impressive as what Pickens displayed in Dallas.

In 2025, London had 68 receptions for 919 yards and seven touchdowns. He missed five games, so it's not fair to compare those numbers to Pickens. Instead, we can look at 2024, when London played in all 17 games and had 100 receptions for 1,271 yards and nine touchdowns. Those were all career highs for the 6-foot-4 wideout and the only 1,000-yard campaign during his four-year career.

As for Pickens, his best season was in 2025 when he recorded 93 receptions for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns. That was the second time he topped 1,000 yards and he averaged 16 yards per reception compared to 12.8 for London.

That's why Pickens' representation will command more than what London just received and if that's the case, the Cowboys are going to have a hard time keeping him around beyond the 2026 season.

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