George Pickens transforms the Dallas Cowboys' offense, dominating yards and TDs. If he leaves, a Colts receiver emerges as a compelling Plan B.
George Pickens arrived in Dallas with sky-high potential and just as many questions about his maturity and consistency.
Ten weeks into the 2025 season, most of those doubts have subsided. If he keeps this pace, Pickens is headed for the best year of his four-season NFL career and has already become exactly what the Cowboys hoped they were getting when they swung the trade with Pittsburgh.
On the field, Pickens has been a true No. 1 weapon.
Through 10 games, he has 58 receptions for 908 yards and seven touchdowns, ranking second in the league in receiving yards while averaging 15.7 yards per catch.
That kind of efficiency and explosiveness has transformed the Cowboys' passing attack and given Dak Prescott a legitimate downfield bully on the perimeter.
The price to get him now looks like a bargain.
Dallas sent a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth to the Steelers in exchange for Pickens and a 2027 sixth. Given the way he has produced in his first season with the Cowboys, it's fair to say he has already paid off that investment.
The complication is the timeline.
This is the final year of Pickens' rookie contract, and he's set to hit free agency in March. There's little doubt the Cowboys want him back, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler has already reported that Dallas could use the franchise tag on Pickens if the two sides cannot agree on a long-term deal, which signals the organization has no interest in letting him walk for nothing.
Still, the Cowboys are never predictable when it comes to big-money decisions.
Suppose talks somehow break down or the front office decides it can't commit top-of-the-market receiver money to Pickens after locking in Dak Prescott. In that case, there's at least one intriguing Plan B on the horizon ... Indianapolis Colts wideout Alec Pierce.
K.D. Drummond of Cowboys Wire recently highlights several 2026 free agents who "could be targets" for Dallas, and Pierce stands out as a potential consolation prize if Pickens is not retained.
"If the Cowboys don't bring back Pickens, Pierce is looking like a beautiful consolation prize," Drummond wrote. "He's excelling now that he has a competent QB throwing him the ball (can anyone believe that’s being said about Daniel Jones?) and his deep-threat ability mirrors Pickens' impact on the Dallas offense."
Pierce is thriving now that he finally has stable quarterback play with Daniel Jones in Indianapolis, and his vertical skill set mirrors a lot of what Pickens brings to the Cowboys' offense.
Like Pickens, Pierce came into the league as a 2022 second-round pick, selected 53rd overall out of Cincinnati. He has a similar size at 6-3 and 211 pounds, but wins a little differently.
Pierce is even more of a pure deep-ball threat, known more for chunk plays and explosiveness than for high-volume target totals.
The numbers back that up. Through Week 10, Pierce has 138 catches for 2,516 yards and 12 touchdowns over four years with the Colts, averaging a massive 18.5 yards per reception.
He led the NFL at 22.3 yards per catch in 2024, turning 37 grabs into 824 yards and seven scores. This season has followed the same pattern, with 28 receptions for 585 yards and one touchdown, while again leading the league in yards per catch at 20.9.
With Indianapolis likely needing to commit major money to Jones on a new contract, it's fair to question whether they will be able to keep Pierce in the fold as well. If he reaches the open market, his size, age and proven big-play ability would make him a very attractive target for receiver-needy teams, including Dallas, if Pickens' situation somehow goes sideways.
Right now, though, the Cowboys' best option is the one already in their building.
Between Pickens' elite production and the obvious chemistry he has with Prescott, it's hard to picture Jerry Jones letting a 24-year-old star receiver leave without exhausting every avenue to keep him in a Cowboys uniform.
But the past year has taught everyone around this franchise that with Jones, almost anything is possible.
If the unexpected happens and Dallas has to pivot, Pierce profiles as a strong big-play alternative who could slide into that outside receiver role and keep the vertical passing game dangerous.
For now, the focus stays on 2025.
If Pickens continues his current tear and the Cowboys make a deep postseason run, it will only increase the urgency, and likely the price tag, when Dallas sits down to decide his future in the spring of 2026.