MMQB: The Cowboys shouldn't re-sign Pickens

[Hawkeye0202]

Judging his entire season off the last two games seems a bit unfair to me. I am still bullish on bringing him back, but as stated before, with the tag.

Cowboys Shouldn’t Extend George Pickens After Another No-Show​

The star receiver has gone quiet at the worst time for Dallas, and he shouldn’t be prioritized by a team that already has salary cap issues.

Gilberto Manzano | Dec 15, 2025​

 

[Stash]

If you had asked me three weeks ago, I’d have said it was a no-brainer.

After these past few weeks, I can see a case for not doing it.

I think the rest of the season will ultimately decide.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

If you had asked me three weeks ago, I’d have said it was a no-brainer.

After these past few weeks, I can see a case for not doing it.

I think the rest of the season will ultimately decide.

I'm on the fence about a long-term deal but def bringing him back for 2026. He's been too good for like 12 weeks. Love a 2026 trio of Pickens, Lamb and Flournoy........

 

[DB_Cooper]

Perhaps his performance the past few weeks has lowered the cost of signing him.

 

[dupree89]

If you had asked me three weeks ago, I’d have said it was a no-brainer.

After these past few weeks, I can see a case for not doing it.

I think the rest of the season will ultimately decide.

I am in total agreement with you. I was absolutely you must bring him back. Now, my mind has changed a little and its up for debate.

 

[Kingofholland]

Judging his entire season off the last two games seems a bit unfair to me. I am still bullish on bringing him back, but as stated before, with the tag.

Cowboys Shouldn’t Extend George Pickens After Another No-Show​

The star receiver has gone quiet at the worst time for Dallas, and he shouldn’t be prioritized by a team that already has salary cap issues.

Gilberto Manzano | Dec 15, 2025​

Teams have adjusted coverage to take him out of the game the last 2 weeks. I think he's frustrated by that, but Ceedee and Flournoy have benefitted. I would still stick with the plan to tag him and bring him back, especially if you buy into the Cowboys being a few defensive players away from being atleast an average defense. An average d likely has the Cowboys in the playoffs.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

Perhaps his performance the past few weeks has lowered the cost of signing him.

Oh, I am sure it has.....remember several league insiders laughed at Jerry for investing a 3rd rounder on him. The last couple of games have vindicated those critics a bit.

 

[MountaineerCowboy]

He’s got “get paid and quit” written all over him.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

Teams have adjusted coverage to take him out of the game the last 2 weeks. I think he's frustrated by that, but Ceedee and Flournoy have benefitted. I would still stick with the plan to tag him and bring him back, especially if you buy into the Cowboys being a few defensive players away from being atleast an average defense. An average d likely has the Cowboys in the playoffs.

Exactly.......

 

[Creeper]

Judging his entire season off the last two games seems a bit unfair to me. I am still bullish on bringing him back, but as stated before, with the tag.

Cowboys Shouldn’t Extend George Pickens After Another No-Show​

The star receiver has gone quiet at the worst time for Dallas, and he shouldn’t be prioritized by a team that already has salary cap issues.

Gilberto Manzano | Dec 15, 2025​

If we make decisions based on one game we will have chaos.

Having said that, tag him and see if he can be traded. Hopefully over the next 3 weeks he lights it up again increasing his value in a trade. I would love to get a 1 or 2 for him or at least get a 2 and a 3 back.

 

[diamonddelts]

Oh, I am sure it has.....remember several league insiders laughed at Jerry for investing a 3rd rounder on him. The last couple of games have vindicated those critics a bit.

What about the other games before that?

George Pickens Stats after 14 games

1,212 yards (3rd overall in NFL)
81 receptions (8th overall in NFL)
8 touchdowns (7th overall in NFL)

Many of you need to stop being prisoners of the moment. Let go of your recency bias and look at the big picture.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Last I saw he was second in the league in receiving yards….he had two bad games…..

What’s funny is if we did what they said they’d call us a laughing stock and say how stupid we are for not signing him.

 

[MarcusRock]

Teams have adjusted coverage to take him out of the game the last 2 weeks. I think he's frustrated by that, but Ceedee and Flournoy have benefitted. I would still stick with the plan to tag him and bring him back, especially if you buy into the Cowboys being a few defensive players away from being atleast an average defense. An average d likely has the Cowboys in the playoffs.

I agree. He's electric so if you can take him out of the game, you gamble with Lamb and hope his butterfingers will work in your favor at some point. Pickens is a game breaker like we haven't had in a long time kinda like Parsons was the war daddy we haven't had in a long time. Therefore we're getting rid of him, lol.

 

[Redsfan_83]

Well, imagine if we looked player by player and decided if we should keep/release them? We'd have 5 guys on the roster in '26. Our HC has been awful and hasn't done his job getting his team ready to play, so he should also be gone. Our kicker stinks now, we should cut him as well.....this would be a fun exorcism

 

[Risen Star]

 

[MarcusRock]

What about the other games before that?

George Pickens Stats after 14 games

1,212 yards (3rd overall in NFL)
81 receptions (8th overall in NFL)
8 touchdowns (7th overall in NFL)

Many of you need to stop being prisoners of the moment. Let go of your recency bias and look at the big picture.

..... in the words of a broken heart it's just EMOTION that's taken me over, caught up in sorrow, lost in my soul ...

 

[sunalsorises]

Maybe transition tag him. At least Jerry won't be bidding against himself.

 

[blueblood70]

Judging his entire season off the last two games seems a bit unfair to me. I am still bullish on bringing him back, but as stated before, with the tag.

Cowboys Shouldn’t Extend George Pickens After Another No-Show​

The star receiver has gone quiet at the worst time for Dallas, and he shouldn’t be prioritized by a team that already has salary cap issues.

Gilberto Manzano | Dec 15, 2025​

This has been my opinion all year, No Recency bias, they need a franchise tag him, with a first round tender, let him seek a trade, if the offers are fair, maybe you match it, but if he's looking for ridiculous money, you have to take the picks....

this team has too many holes to be paying this man more than $30 million ,when they have an asset right now that can help rebuild this team.

This is no different than when we allowed Parsons to leave, except that was last minute unplanned, it was hard to adjust to ,we have control of this situation ,he will not play under the tag...

this is just my opinion....

I Just don't feel his representation we all know who he is will allow George Pickens to even sign the franchise tag ,not at the beginning, he may eventually do it, but they're going to play hardball with this negotiation, just like they did with Parsons, it can get just as ugly if not worse.

You have two of the same type of personalities with the players you have the same agent they probably think he's worth WR1 money and I do not we can't afford to have two guys making that kind of money at the same position..

My Take has always been he should be making T Higgins money, somewhere around there with a little inflation added to it, whatever that goes up now is what around 30M maybe 31M.

Yes, the Cowboys should entertain that,

but if they're looking for anything over that that I am definitely going to allow them to seek a trade under the franchise tender and I don't know what that can get the Cowboys I don't know the rules but it's at least 1 1st rounder if not 2,

Strategy is twofold ,

you allow a player not to feel like he's being forced to stay you allow him to seek a trade which allow his him and the Cowboys to see his true value let's see what other teams are willing to give for him Then you can either match those offers to keep him or you let him walk..

But these offers are lower than his expectations this works out well for the Cowboys, it calms him and his agent down, and we can keep him..

But if you need any more proof the last two games, when we needed scoring the most, when we needed it the most he did not help our team be special,

I mean we have a terrible defense, we all know it and now we have tackles that can't block long enough to allow Prescott to get the ball down the field, here's the thing that means guys need to get open really quick, they need to be ready for the ball, they can't be loafing they can't be lazy, And for whatever reason the last two games when we needed George the most, when we needed a dynamic duo, we needed someone else to spark the offense, he was not there, not saying it's his fault but that's the reality that two great receivers have not helped the Cowboys in their below 500 season so far...

I Want to just be real here, stop looking at how great he is and how entertaining he can be, this is about the team, It's about how much can you afford to keep him, versus the assets and the return you can get for him?

Nothing against George,

i'm not trying to blame him for his little two game low but this happened at the beginning of the season as well his first couple of games here he was accused of the same thing, i'm not saying he's going to always be that way but when we needed George the most when we needed these two receivers to step up the most ,we're attempting field goals instead ,we're punting instead,

this has not made the Cowboys dynamic, When they needed that the most it did not show up..

This Tells me this team has too many holes to overpay a guy to be your WR2 don't tell me how much he's a starter he's not a backup, I don't care right now we have CD lamb under A really big contract which by the way he in the Lions game before he got hurt and he showed up in the last game, he's actually earning his contract....

He is our WR one...

you can't have two starters making that kind of starter money.

It's not unfair to speak about possibilities You have to make it fit your team or you have to move on we can get a really good second receiver in the draft using some of those assets we get for him and aren't we high on number 19

I mean are you saying that why we bridge the gap with our rookie You don't think Ryan can be A WR2, better than Tolbert, I mean if he's given more snaps and more opportunities, he's a lot cheaper, is he not ?? This is about the team not about having the dynamic duo wide receiver....

You know the other dynamic duos the ones in Cincinnati and the one we played ie Jefferson , heck they had 3 wrs , you know they're not making the playoffs, right,

so that be three teams with that set up not making the playoffs and then you have the other one who's had a struggling offense all year in the Eagles..hmmm

I mean, it's just too much to fathom that maybe we're overrating the NEED, we absolutely have to have George Pickens?

That's the last thing the Cowboys front office needs to do is try to satisfy the fan base, who think that it's desperation to keep him,

I don't see it that way, I would love to keep him, I would love to see him stay, but I would not be hurt if they got a lot of draft capital for him and built up the rest of this team with the money we saved.

 

[Bagman]

He’s got “get paid and quit” written all over him.

He's got Diggs Disease

 

[Acceptablename]

Judging his entire season off the last two games seems a bit unfair to me. I am still bullish on bringing him back, but as stated before, with the tag.

Cowboys Shouldn’t Extend George Pickens After Another No-Show​

The star receiver has gone quiet at the worst time for Dallas, and he shouldn’t be prioritized by a team that already has salary cap issues.

Gilberto Manzano | Dec 15, 2025​

Franchise tag and trade. Not a new thought I realize