George Pickens gets $153.7 million contract projection amid breakout 2025 season

The Dallas Cowboys have made a plethora of blockbuster moves over the last few months, and none have worked better than the acquisition of wide receiver George Pickens.

Dallas traded a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for Pickens and a 2027 sixth-round pick back in May. Initially, the Cowboys' move for Pickens received mixed reactions, but the Georgia product has put any doubts to bed with his performance this year.

Through 12 games, Pickens has tallied 73 receptions for 1,142 yards and eight receiving touchdowns. The 24-year-old has formed a dynamic duo with CeeDee Lamb and is having a career year at just the right time.

Pickens will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and Dallas would be foolish to let him go. As a result, Spotrac predicts Pickens will land a monster five-year extension from the Cowboys worth $153.7 million, which would be an average annual value of $30.8 million.

It would be shocking if Pickens isn't in Dallas next year and in the future. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones even stated that he doesn't envision a scenario where Pickens isn't with the team in 2026.

"No, I do not at this time," Jones said when asked if Pickens will be on the team next year. "We've got two number one receivers and that's just exceptional right at the time, guess what? Our quarterback is probably the best that he's ever been. There's more there."

An extension worth $30.8 million annually would make Pickens the seventh-highest-paid receiver in football, which is fair value, given that he's posting elite numbers this season.

Additionally, if Pickens does sign a deal worth around the number Spotrac is projecting, that would mean the Cowboys would have two of the ten highest-paid receivers in football. Lamb signed a four-year extension worth $136 million with Dallas in August 2024.

Overall, Pickens deserves a nice payday if he continues to be a difference-maker for the Cowboys. An extension worth over $30 million annually is likely in the former Steelers receiver's future.