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George Pickens #3 of the Dallas Cowboys carries the ball in the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on October 12, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
When the Dallas Cowboys acquired wide receiver George Pickens from the Pittsburgh Steelers in a post-draft trade last offseason, no one could have predicted the kind of season that he had in 2025.
Pickens immediately had a breakout year with the Cowboys. He looked like the suprstar that many thought he would develop into with the Steelers.
In 17 games played, the 25-year-old wideout racked up 93 receptions for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns. All of those numbers were career highs.
Unfortunately for Dallas, that production may have thrown a wrench in Jerry Jones’ plans. After that kind of a year, Pickens’ price tag skyrocketed ahead of NFL free agency. The Cowboys chose to place the non-exclusive franchise tag on him rather than giving out a lucrative long-term contract.
What that non-exclusive franchise tag means is that other teams can negotiate an offer sheet with Pickens. The price tag for any team that signed him to a deal Dallas didn’t match would be two first-round picks.
Dallas Cowboys Could Face Potential George Pickens Threat
Keeping that in mind, there are a few teams around the league who could consider making a play to land Pickens. One of those teams is the New York Jets.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox has suggested the Jets and New England Patriots as teams who could consider making that kind of a gamble on Pickens.
“There would be risk involved with signing Pickens to an offer sheet, considering the cost and the maturity concerns that forced him away from the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Knox wrote. “However, it could be worth considering for teams with a surplus of cap space and a need at receiver, like the New York Jets and New England Patriots.”
It’s unlikely that a team would give up two first-round picks and a massive contract extension to land Pickens this offseason, but it’s also not impossible.
Jerry Jones Could Already Be Looking for a Pickens Replacement
Whether or not the Cowboys are planning to offer Pickens a long-term deal remains to be seen. They currently have fellow star wideout CeeDee Lamb in the middle of a four-year, $136 million contract.
There have been some hints that Dallas may already be looking for a replacement.
According to Ryan Fowler, the Cowboys have lined up a top-30 visit with Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. Cooper is widely expected to be a first-round pick. Dallas would only make that move if it planned to move on from Pickens.
Cooper would be an excellent target to replace Pickens. During his time with the Hoosiers, he caught 115 passes for 1,798 yards and 22 touchdowns in three years.
It will be interesting to see what the future has in store for Pickens and the Cowboys. He could still be signed long-term, but there are some teams who could have a high level of interest in poaching him away from Dallas as well.
Evan Massey Evan Massey is a sports reporter and analyst located in Indianapolis, Indiana who covers the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, and college sports. He has been featured on many publications, including Newsweek, Athlon Sports, ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, Forbes, Bleacher Report, Sporting News, and many others. In his free time, Evan enjoys spending time with his wife and son. More about Evan Massey
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