George Pickens ended up being a great fit with the Dallas Cowboys.
They traded with the Pittsburgh Steelers to get him in hopes that he'd work well opposite CeeDee Lamb and give Dak Prescott two star targets. Mission accomplished.
Now, the Cowboys have to decide what to do next with Pickens, who is heading for free agency.
"Pickens delivered with a career year," ESPN's Bill Barnwell writes. "I had him as the third-best wideout in football and a first-team All-Pro after he racked up 93 catches for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns. Pickens had to settle for a second-team All-Pro nod from the voters, but either way, we're still talking about him as one of the six best receivers in the NFL in 2025. That's a hugely talented and valuable player when you consider Pickens made $3.7 million in 2026."
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Pickens will turn just 25 years old in March.
"If the Cowboys decide to let Pickens test the open market and move on after one season, it would be stunning if he landed anything short of $30 million per year with a multiyear guarantee," Barnwell writes.
The Cowboys' simplest option is to exercise the franchise tag on Pickens. That would keep him around for the 2026 season at a cost of about $28 million, and it would give Dallas time to negotiate a further deal.
That's what Barnwell thinks is the most likely outcome.
"The most likely scenario should see Pickens return to the Cowboys in 2026 on the franchise tag," Barnwell writes. "If he can prove that 2025 wasn't an outlier season, the Cowboys will be more inclined to sign him to a long-term deal. If not, well, Pickens would hit the open market next season. For now, though, the tag seems like the most plausible path for one of the league's breakout stars."
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Pickens is a key piece to the Dallas offseason, and they'll want him back in some form, it seems.
The most important part for the Cowboys' approach before next season has to be the defense as a whole. Pickens, Lamb and Prescott can only do so much.
For Dallas to take advantage of its high-powered offense, it'll also need a defense that can make a few plays.
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