Cowboys Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith knows the value of retaining Pickens this offseason.
Last offseason, the Dallas Cowboys had the Micah Parsons contract saga. This offseason, it's George Pickens.
After trading for Pickens last offseason, the Cowboys got a menace who tore apart defenses to the tune of 1,429 yards and 9 TDs from 93 receptions.
Such was George's season; he earned his first Pro Bowl nod and also saw his value as a free agent spike considerably.
The Cowboys' front office has a job in front of them to tie down Pickens to a new deal.
Whether that is a franchise tag or a long-term deal, Pickens has to be on the Cowboys' roster in 2026. We have heard both Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb have been incredibly vocal in their desire to have No. 3 back with the team.
So this will be a fascinating saga to watch play out, because both sides have expressed a desire to keep this good thing going.
But we saw what happened with Micah last season, so we don't exactly have full faith in the front office to do the right thing.
And for Hall of Fame running back and Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith, he was a guest on the Up & Adams Show, and detailed that if he were a general manager, he knows exactly what he would do.
"Me, as a GM, I would make that decision right now or right before the draft, so I know how to proceed in the draft," Smith said. "Not only that, I would solidify my offensive scheme with Lamb, Pickens, and our tight end, the way we ran the ball with Javonte, that solidifies the foundation."
Emmitt is right. Brian Schottenheimer has the core pieces on offense for the unit to be one of the NFL's best in 2026.
Having both Lamb and Pickens tormented defenses last season. Dak was playing at an elite level, and Javonte Williams gave Dallas a top-10 run game as well. Plus Jake Ferguson's 800 yards and 6 TDs, the pieces are all there.
But take Pickens out, and it could come crumbling down. Because defenses will now double Lamb and force Ryan Flournoy to beat them. That won't work, for as much as we like "Flo."
So it is rather simple for Dallas, according to Emmitt.
Sign Pickens and keep this elite offense's foundation intact for 2026.
And we agree.