The Cowboys in 2026 will have two of the best receivers in football, but will that be the case in 2027?
The Dallas Cowboys have a George Pickens decision coming in the next year or so, as he is set to play under the franchise tag in 2026.
Making a little over $27 million, if Pickens is tagged again in 2027, that jumps up to around $33 million, but many question whether Dallas and Pickens want that.
We know of George's desire to get a long-term deal, which, for now, Dallas has shut the door on, and while there are some sections of Cowboys Nation who are hopeful that it will be agreed to, it does feel like 2026 could be Pickens' last as a Cowboy.
That is mainly because you will have Dak Prescott and his $60 million APY deal, and CeeDee Lamb's $34 million contract on offense, not to mention Tyler Smith and others, so paying Pickens a deal that is likely going to be north of Lamb's isn't really feasible.
So, it is fair to say that Pickens will be the one moving on at season's end if things go the way many expect, right?
Well, ESPN's Dan Orlovsky thinks it could be Lamb.
"They're not keeping both of them," Orlovsky said on ESPN's GetUp. "So it's going to be signing George Pickens to a long-term deal that they've been hesitant to do, or CeeDee Lamb's going to be traded.
"Both are great receivers, I think CeeDee's proven to be a little bit more reliable I guess in personality maybe. I think there's still some question marks in regards to George Pickens proving that maturity, but they're not keeping both."
Right, there is a lot to work through here.
According to our own Mike Fisher, not a single person inside The Star wants Lamb gone. The fact that it's even mentioned is a little embarrassing. ... mostly because ESPN is "reporting'' this without actually having done any reporting.
Then the Lamb is "a little" more reliable in personality. I'd say CeeDee is far more reliable than George, at least right now.
He's got years of work to fall back on, showing his commitment to the team, playing through injury, and putting up big numbers. George has done it once.
I don't envision a world where the Cowboys would even contemplate trading Lamb, but for the purposes of Orlovsky's statement, let's go through it.
Per Over The Cap, a trade of Lamb in 2027, post-June 1, would see Dallas eat $17 million in dead money and save $29 million. So, based on that, you can see it happening.
But let's live in the real world.
CeeDee is everything the Cowboys wanted him to be.
He's a star on the field, a leader on and off it, plus there's hardly any drama with No. 88.
Which is why I find it next to impossible that the Cowboys, if faced with the decision of whether to keep either Lamb or Pickens, would even consider moving on No. 88.
