Dak Prescott gives honest advice to Cowboys' George Pickens before free agency

The Dallas Cowboys have one more game to play before the offseason begins. Following the road matchup against the New York Giants, Dallas will have to start making decisions for the future of the franchise.

One of the biggest moves on the Cowboys' radar is retaining breakout wide receiver George Pickens in free agency. Dallas acquired Pickens from the Pittsburgh Steelers early last summer, and the trade ended up paying off.

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Pickens leads the team and ranks top-5 in the league in receiving yards. He's become a perfect fit alongside CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott as the Cowboys have built the most prolific passing attack in the NFL.

Dallas Cowboys receiver George Pickens celebrates a touchdown with quarterback Dak Prescott against the Philadelphia Eagles | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Dallas will have to break the bank on Pickens' next contract, as he'll likely be one of the highest-paid wide receivers in the league. These are cautious waters for the Cowboys as talks broke down between the franchise and Micah Parsons, leading to an ugly parting.

Star quarterback Dak Prescott, who has formed a bond with Pickens, is offering advice to his young wide receiver.

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Prescott Has Advice For George Pickens Ahead Of Contract Discussions With Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott celebrates with George Pickens after a touchdown at AT&T Stadium. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

This is a situation that Prescott has been in before. Since being drafted by the Cowboys, Prescott has signed two extensions with the franchise, including a four-year/$240 million deal ahead of the 2024 season.

There were times when Prescott wasn't happy with the way things were unfolding. He just wants Pickens to stay patient and prevent the situation from escalating, even if frustration adds up.

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"I'll give it to George and one, just don't let it get personal. At the end of the day, this is business. Both sides are gonna want negotiations," Prescott said on Thursday. "Honestly, me and Jerry's wasn't pretty at all, right? Wasn't talking to him for some time, and I remember I went and signed, and we went in there, and he told me that."

"When two sides are trying to agree, you can't see each other's differences, but the moment you get to a contract, you shake hands, and you've got to let all of that go, and we did that. It's the same mindset going into these things," Prescott added. "Things are coming to come up, things aren't going to sit right. You're going to feel slighted when they give you a million or two less than whatever you said, and it's just the business. Play the game, play back, but don't let it get personal."

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott celebrates after a touchdown against the Washington Commanders | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Owner Jerry Jones has made it known he intends to meet personally with Pickens to negotiate the contract, as he did with Parsons. Pickens plans to defer to his representation for most of those talks.

"Super prepared," Pickens said. "I definitely leave that type of stuff to my agent, just because I let them talk through deals and all that stuff, but definitely super prepared.

With his future up in the air, Pickens will be sticking to his routine to prepare for whatever happens.

"I definitely just say stay prepared for the future. I feel like that's the best thing you can do. Like you said, workout, kind of still do the same routine as far as being a complete football player. Get body treatment, definitely get body treatment, work out, tap into high speed. Just kind of reboot yourself for the new season."

Pickens has appeared in all 16 games this season, hauling in a career-high 92 receptions for 1,420 yards and nine touchdowns. He was recently named to his first Pro Bowl.

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