Pickens is coming off a superb year in 2025, and while he hasn't gotten the extension he craves, he's gotten a little help in his attempt to get one.
As far as first seasons go, George Pickens' with the Dallas Cowboys was about as good as you can get.
Coming from the Pittsburgh Steelers after Dallas acquired him via trade, there were a lot of people skeptical of the move due to George's on and off-field antics, shall we say.
His fiery nature on the field got him into trouble in Pittsburgh, but in Dallas, under Brian Schottenheimer? He channeled it into a Pro Bowl season, the first of his career.
Pickens would end his first year as a Cowboy with 1,429 yards and 9 TDs from 93 receptions (led all Cowboys) to be one of Dak Prescott's best and most electric weapons.
His tandem with CeeDee Lamb wreaked havoc on defenses, given each's ability to excel on short and intermediate routes and to be downfield threats.
Now, as we look ahead to training camp, Pickens is seen as one of the better receivers in football, but he's playing under the franchise tag. So no long-term extension this time around, as today's July 15 deadline to alter the tag deal is about to come and go.
But he might have gotten a little help in maybe getting one in the future thanks to CBS Sports' Jared Dubin, who named his top 25 players 25 years old or under, and Pickens lands on that list, coming in at No. 18.
"During his first season in Dallas, Pickens set career highs across the board, including 1,429 receiving yards, which ranked third in the NFL in 2025," Dubin writes. "Pickens is arguably the best deep-ball receiver in the league, as his 52 receptions on deep balls (20-plus air yards) are the most since he entered the NFL in 2022.
"The Cowboys placed the franchise tag on Pickens this offseason, and if he has another season like he did in 2025, he could command top-of-the-market money next offseason."
All eyes will be on George to see if he can replicate his stellar 2025 season in his second year with the Cowboys.
Now, 1,400 yards again likely won't happen, but another 1,000+ yard season, coupled with a handful of touchdowns while staying out of trouble on and off the field? That'll do.
Even if Pickens does have another Pro Bowl-caliber season, many doubt he will stick around in Dallas, with a proposed contract of at least $35 million APY likely coming his way.
But to be able to ask for that sort of money, he's got to produce again under Schottenheimer, and as he enters the prime of his career, George could be about to ascend into the upper echelon of receivers in the NFL.
