When the Dallas Cowboys traded for wide receiver George Pickens, it was seen as a risky move.
While Pickens' talent was never in question, his poor attitude and behavior were and the fear was he could create problems like he did with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
However, Pickens has been everything the Cowboys could've hoped for. He has, for the most part, been on his best behavior and he's producing at an elite level, with his 1,142 ranking second in the NFL.
Once this season is over, the Cowboys are going to have to decide if they want to keep Pickens, who is on track to land himself a massive payday.
If you ask Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox, he believes the Cowboys not only need to keep Pickens in town, but they should extend him before the offseason begins.
If Dallas genuinely wants to keep Pickens, and not just use him for tag-and-trade capital, it should extend him now. The Cowboys hurt themselves by delaying new deals for Lamb, Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons, and they need to finally learn from their mistakes.
There is clear interest on both sides to keep this relationship going. Owner Jerry Jones has said on multiple occasions he wants to keep Pickens, and the wideout admitted he'd "love to be back" in 2026.
But, as we know, words and actions are two different things. It's all going to come down to money.
Pickens is almost certainly going to be seeking a deal that is at least close to the top of the market, and Dallas is going to have to weigh paying big money to two wide receivers with CeeDee Lamb already being paid handsomely at $34 million per.
Spotrac projects Pickens will bring in a five-year, $153.7 million contract, which amounts to $30.8 million per year.
That figures to be around the ceiling of what Dallas wants to pay him, or at least it should be, but we can see Pickens looking for a deal richer than that, and more specifically around $35 million annually, which would tie him for the second-biggest contact at wide receiver with Justin Jefferson.
With what could be a difficult negotiation, the Cowboys do have the option of using the franchise tag on Pickens, which will cost about $28 million.
That will give Dallas more time to negotiate with Pickens, who they could also turn around and trade if the two sides are too far apart.
The other option is to let Pickens play out the season on the tag, but that's not something the veteran wideout will be keen on doing.
More NFL News
- Spicy Matt LaFleur admits refs botched call in Lions vs. Packers
- Bears barely getting any love in expert predictions for Eagles game
- George Pickens stat with Cowboys is embarrassing for Steelers
- Cowboys' Brian Schottenheimer gives electric locker room speech
- Josh Simmons injury update signals long-term issue for Chiefs LT