Pickens exploded onto the scene, elevating the Cowboys' offense. Now, with free agency looming, other teams could eye the breakout star.
Dallas Cowboys' superstar wide receiver CeeDee Lamb did not have his best season in 2025, also missing a few games due to injury.
It is a testament to how good Lamb is that a 1,000-yard season is considered slow for him, but he has also come to expect more from himself. Being a top five receiver in the league is not an easy thing to do.
With him having a down year, the team needed someone else to step up and shoulder more of the load in the receiving crops.
And George Pickens was able to exactly that.
Dallas traded for the former Pittsburgh Steeler last offseason, and it proved to be one of the best moves they made. He is now set to become an unrestricted free agent , so the team will have to come up with a new deal to get him back.
But some think he could, and maybe should go elsewhere this offseason.
In a recent article by PFF's Bradley Locker, he lists one free agent that he believes every NFL team should go after this offseason. For the Denver Broncos, he thinks they should bolster their receiver corps by adding the Cowboys' wideout.
"Pickens grew immensely in his first season in Dallas, playing to a career-best 87.2 PFF receiving grade with 2.35 yards per route run," Locker writes. "Although the Broncos will return Courtland Sutton, the team finished 26th in collective receiving grade. Boasting $27 million in cap space before restructures, the Broncos can afford a big-time signing on offense — and there’s none better than Pickens at receiver."
The Broncos made it all the way to the AFC Championship this season, and they did so with what some might call mediocre receivers. The team's defense was the driving force behind their playoff run, so upgrading Bo Nix's offensive weapons is something the team could be interested in.
Pickens finished the 2025 season with 1429 yards and nine touchdowns on 93 receptions. Those were all career-highs for the 24-year-old receiver, and it has really put the league on notice.
While some NFL teams could be interested in signing Pickens, the Cowboys are going to do everything in their power to get their new weapon back.
If the team can figure out their defensive struggles as well as keep Pickens, they could be in store for a big 2026.