George Pickens' Cowboys Future Gets Grim Update From Stephen Jones Before 2026 Season

The Dallas Cowboys have said they want George Pickens to be a part of the team's future, but it isn't going to be easy.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens looks on before a game against the Saints at AT&T Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Dallas Cowboys have plenty of hype entering the 2026 NFL season, with a lot of excitement about the high-powered offense. Dallas has one of the best one-two punches at wide receiver in the entire league, and a reliable quarterback in Dak Prescott tossing them the ball.

CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens provide a lot of excitement for the team, but the long-term future of the duo remains up in the air.

Pickens enters the season without a long-term deal and will be playing the year on the franchise tag, which guarantees him $27.3 million. Dallas has previously said there are no plans to negotiate with Pickens during the season, which could create a contract showdown in the offseason.

It's something that Cowboys fans are all too familiar with when it comes to star players, and EVP Stephen Jones recently provided an update that raises some concerns regarding whether Pickens will be in Dallas beyond 2026.

Stephen Jones' Comments Show Pessimism For Pickens Deal

Dallas Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones at training camp at River Ridge Playing Fields. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jones appeared on the DLLS Sports podcast and discussed Pickens' future in Dallas, acknowledging that it will be difficult to keep him and CeeDee Lamb together with the current market price for receivers.

"The situation we have with George Pickens going alongside CeeDee,.. I don't know of any teams that really can pay two top receivers top of the market," Jones said. "So, yeah. That's going to be a real difficult situation as we move forward. We've managed to figure out how we can do it for this year.

"Certainly, if everything works out the way we think it is, which CeeDee and George both have huge years again, then it'll be a bigger challenge next year. George is really wanting to put back-to-back years on top of one another so it'll help his market. And certainly I know at some point, as does every player in this league, will want to be rewarded with a long-term contract. So that certainly puts pressure on us to have a unique situation there."

Lamb currently has an average annual salary of $34 million, after signing a $136 million deal with $67 million fully guaranteed at signing and $100 million in total guarantees. The team would obviously love to keep the dynamic duo together, but with the emergence of Ryan Flournoy and Camden Brown, along with a standout preseason from Jonathan Mingo, the team could find itself in a position to part ways with Pickens before next season.

Let's just hope that if the team does decide to move on that they can get something in return, or else it's going to deliver a blow to the fan base that will start next year off on a sour note.

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