PFT: Pickens wants to remain in Dallas but says his value has increased

[jaythecowboy]

It’s possible he made the comment about his value increasing to avoid giving any ground in negotiations. That doesn’t mean he’s looking to be the highest paid. It just comes down to whether he wants to stay or not and what the team will pay. I don’t think either side wants to replicate what happened with Parsons.

 

[KingCorcoran]

I’m generally in the camp of pay the top players but he’s only been in the Cowboys one season and he wasn’t that valuable in Pittsburgh. I think the tag is best and make him repeat another season like he had. I’m not opposed to trading him though if he won’t play on the tag or if the Cowboys get an amazing offer.

He’ll play on the tag, but as soon as he can be free of the Cowboys he’ll leave. His attitude for the next one or two seasons (he can be tagged again) will likely be less than ideal.

 

[Wildcat711]

He seems to be best buds with CD..

Not sure that changes anything but just throwing it out there.

 

[amame25]

The sooner Jerry gets this done, the better. There was no reason they had to wait until the end of the season to do this. Now that the cap has increased by 7%, he’s going to want more.

Jerry is foolish to wait this out and tag him. Get it done now and worry about building the other parts of the team, especially the defense.

if we sign him now, we paid too much. If we tag and sign him, we paid too much. If we tag and trade him for 4 first round picks It will always be hindsight and Jerrys fault.

 

[ConstantReboot]

if we sign him now, we paid too much. If we tag and sign him, we paid too much. If we tag and trade him for 4 first round picks It will always be hindsight and Jerrys fault.

I think the smart move is to sign him now and start looking for free agents afterward.

If we don’t get a deal done and end up tagging him, there’s going to be tension on both sides all year until it’s resolved next offseason. On top of that, the franchise tag hits our cap immediately.

A tag would cost us about $28M against the cap this year. If we sign him now, the contract would likely average $30–32M per year, but we’d be able to spread the cap hit over multiple seasons.

Waiting only makes it more expensive. If we let this drag out and sign him later, his price will probably jump to $33–36M per year or more.

Either way, this is money we’re going to have to spend eventually. Getting it done now gives us flexibility and avoids a bigger cap hit and more drama down the road.

 

[jaythecowboy]

I think the smart move is to sign him now and start looking for free agents afterward.

If we don’t get a deal done and end up tagging him, there’s going to be tension on both sides all year until it’s resolved next offseason. On top of that, the franchise tag hits our cap immediately.

A tag would cost us about $28M against the cap this year. If we sign him now, the contract would likely average $30–32M per year, but we’d be able to spread the cap hit over multiple seasons.

Waiting only makes it more expensive. If we let this drag out and sign him later, his price will probably jump to $33–36M per year or more.

Either way, this is money we’re going to have to spend eventually. Getting it done now gives us flexibility and avoids a bigger cap hit and more drama down the road.

I feel like Pickens’ camp is probably already looking for around $35 million a year.

 

[Blackrain]

Wait broke the wagon.
Get this done Jerry he's not going to be happy if he's tagged.

Get him signed he's a clutch player we haven't had one of them in a long time.

 

[DuncanIso]

Let's not kid ourselves......he's getting tagged.

GP would go off meds if that happens.

 

[DuncanIso]

Why can’t we tag and trade him? We can get a first round pick and he gets paid by someone else. Win-win.

It’s a huge cap hit.

And he has a terrible reputation.

 

[dmq]

He looked different and distracted the second half of the year. No way I pay this guy.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

He’ll play on the tag, but as soon as he can be free of the Cowboys he’ll leave. His attitude for the next one or two seasons (he can be tagged again) will likely be less than ideal.

Here's where I am.......def want him back for AT LEAST one more year. To be honest, ( I would not have said this before the start of last season) I am not sure Lamb is a better overall WR. His drops, childish acts on the sideline when things go wrong gives me reason to pause on which WR I would rather keep. Pickens gives me Dez and Michael Irvin vibes in that EVERY BALL is his and can score after every catch. No he's never going to be a vocal leader....you can see that is not personality. But his relationship with Dak reminds me Dez/Romo......

In other words, IF we can't keep both after next season, we may learn it is better to move on from Lamb and keep Pickens.

 

[KingCorcoran]

Here's where I am.......def want him back for AT LEAST one more year. To be honest, ( I would not have said this before the start of last season) I am not sure Lamb is a better overall WR. His drops, childish acts on the sideline when things go wrong gives me reason to pause on which WR I would rather keep. Pickens gives me Dez and Michael Irvin vibes in that EVERY BALL is his and can score after every catch. No he's never going to be a vocal leader....you can see that is not personality. But his relationship with Dak reminds me Dez/Romo......

In other words, IF we can't keep both after next season, we may learn it is better to move on from Lamb and keep Pickens.

If your considering what all of these wonderful wide receivers’ value is you need look no further than how many in this ranking have played in, let alone won, a Super Bowl.

 

[exciter]

I have zero problem with what he said.......

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profo...in-in-dallas-but-says-his-value-has-increased

George Pickens wants to remain in Dallas but says his value has increased​

• By
• Charean Williams

Published February 2, 2026 06:04 PM

Ah!
So Pickens main interest is exactly the same as 100% of every other player in the league!

 

[Flamma]

Let's not kid ourselves......he's getting tagged.

Tagged yes. But they have until July to come up with a deal. I highly doubt he ends up playing on the tag if the Jones boys are serious about going far into the playoffs. That's still up in the air.

 

[Kwyn]

Pickens had his breakout all-pro year in 2025 buI think next season he’s going to take it to the next level.

I’d prefer an actual contract because I think the tag destroys relationships, but if the tag is all that King Dipdoodlen will offer then that’s what we’ll have to accept.

 

[blueblood70]

I’m generally in the camp of pay the top players but he’s only been in the Cowboys one season and he wasn’t that valuable in Pittsburgh. I think the tag is best and make him repeat another season like he had. I’m not opposed to trading him though if he won’t play on the tag or if the Cowboys get an amazing offer.

As much as that sounds great, it's a mistake,

you do realize who his agent is, and we just went through this last year...

I am not on board with forcing the guy to play under the tag the tag needs to be used as it was really developed for as a extension tool to give you time to work out a long-term deal or to see offers from both sides get to evaluate what real value is if you can't come to a deal you trade them That's it there isn't a middle ground here because we all thought Parsons was gonna play under his 5th year option which by the way is almost the exact same thing as a franchise tag and he showed Jerry with the help of his agent who's the same agent for Parsons..

Come on man,
.
we have this information, we discuss it at nauseam,

he will not be happy if you forced him to play on the tag, he will be like Pittsburgh Steeler George Pickens, and don't say you won't do it ,because going to hurt his next big contract, because it won't really..

I'm sorry another team is going to want him and he'll know it because the offers will be there if you franchise tag him other teams have a right to come try to get him and he'll see who wants him This only works out if he sees the value in being the 7th highest paid receiver in the league to be paired with CD lamb at thirty million dollars.

If he won't do that, you trade him, we could use a first round pick and that money more than we can use his services and the headache that comes with it, when he's unhappy...


So again ,

either scenario works for me, but it's either or you keep him he plays under a good price long-term deal or you trade him and you help your team immediately rebuild big holes in it because we can cover up WR2 with the receiver in the draft and let guys battle out in camp if you need to you can get a cheaper veteran like we did a few years ago with Brandon Cooks there's guys out there like that./..

 

[jazzcat22]

I really hate how the Cowboys handle their business. It always feels like they don’t want to negotiate in good faith with players and agents. Instead, they try to get cute, drag things out, and somehow sneak their way into a discount.

That approach just feels unfair and honestly pretty dumb. If Jerry wants a deal, start the negotiations early. Be upfront. Ask for a bargain and be willing to hear a counteroffer. What keeps happening instead is guys like Dak and CeeDee end up winning these standoffs anyway. And let’s be real—Dallas has benefited plenty from paying top talent when it actually matters.

It just doesn’t need to be this messy or full of drama every single time.

This reminds me of a friend of mine, but in the opposite way.
Doing things on contract Engineering. He plays games and often loses out.

I told him, sometimes you just do not try to negotiate after the initial offer. Sometimes you take the deal.
Instead he keeps playing games, with demands and wanting more money, more per diem, dictate a different start date, saying he needs 3 weeks instead of 2 weeks. Or puts off giving them an answer hoping they get desperate to meet his demands.

In the mean time they move on to. the next person. Then it takes him 3 months to find something else about the same rate. When he could have been working that 3 months. Now sometimes there are circumstances like travel time, securing a place to stay for a decent cost. But it really is not all that bad.

So the Jones do the opposite, put it off hoping the player accepts the lower terms. By then it is too late.

 

[DarkVader33]

It’s a huge cap hit.

And he has a terrible reputation.

That’s probably true but someone is gonna take a chance on him. If DK can do it, so can George.

 

[blueblood70]

Ah!
So Pickens main interest is exactly the same as 100% of every other player in the league!

I'm not gonna read that what you posted too but I can tell you this not every player does it guys like Tom Brady did it other players do it why do you think T higgins and Devante Smith decided to stay as the WR 2 there's a gap between their salaries it is clear that if George Pickens wants to remain with the Cowboys even at $30 million which is the highest I'd offer him that's slightly higher than T Higgins or Waddle or Smith but they all remained and decided they didn't need to be the highest paid non quarterback or try to get top two or three money But if he's here on this team with Prescott and with Lamb who gave him the opportunity to have a season like he did he can come back and do that for the next three seasons And I don't think being paid 7th highest at wide receiver pay is a slap in the face technically it is starter money it's just not top starter money but it's damn far up the charts for you to remain on an offense that you can grow with and even get better..


Versus what where does he end up on another Pittsburgh another team that doesn't have quite the same type of bite or offense or a guy to protect him on the other side I mean he just went through that with Pittsburgh I don't see how people don't see this being paid $5 million less than you can get somewhere else It still says it's starter money it's top seven in the league $30 million is a lot of money especially given the circumstances and other players you said they're all like that now it's not 100 percent those guys took less to stay with their teams they could have been starters elsewhere..


That's the truth I watch those guys T higgins can be a starter on many teams and he said you know what i'm cool with being the number two There's a small gap in pay but he still gets to be a start sometimes because they pulling coverage depending on the game sometimes it's Chase eating and sometimes it's him that's what he needs to weigh here his value is still being paid for but if he needs to have his ego fed because he needs four to $5 million and to be the guy then let him go take a first round pick save that money and let's build our team right..

 

[jazzcat22]

It’s possible he made the comment about his value increasing to avoid giving any ground in negotiations. That doesn’t mean he’s looking to be the highest paid. It just comes down to whether he wants to stay or not and what the team will pay. I don’t think either side wants to replicate what happened with Parsons.

You could be right.
Probably a comment that will be taken out of context.
Though many responses in this thread have been pretty decent opinions.

It could be interpreted as. I want to be paid, (and that is a genuine statement and true, he earned it), so a contract around the tag value is a start.