We know Pickens wants a long-term deal, whether in Dallas or elsewhere, but one thing is holding him back from getting that huge payday.
Dallas Cowboys receiver George Pickens will play on the franchise tag in 2026, as the franchise refused to negotiate a new deal this offseason.
The move, which was questioned by some, still sees George stay a Cowboy, with many thinking that 2026 will be his last year in Dallas as a big payday is set to come his way next offseason.
Of course, that will only come about if Pickens has another good season, and perhaps more importantly, stays out of trouble.
Last season, for the most part, Pickens was a model citizen. Yes, there were reports of him being late to a couple of meetings, and then the Las Vegas incident where he and CeeDee Lamb were benched for the opening series.
But other than that, George was exactly what Dallas wanted him to be. So why no contract extension?
Could it be that it's too expensive for the Cowboys right now? Likely not.
Or is it because the franchise wants to see Pickens stay on the straight and narrow for a second straight season? That seems more viable.
But then there is this from an NFL offensive coach who spoke about Pickens on ESPN's top 10 receivers list, which George landed at No. 7 on.
"One of the best I've ever seen at the contested catch," the coach said. "There's such untapped ability there. It's just a consistency issue and where his head's at week to week."
There you have it. The big concern with Pickens right now.
The consistency and where he is mentally could be the thing holding him back from getting a huge contract next offseason.
We know his talent is elite, but teams still aren't sure of what he brings on a week-to-week basis, which is why all of the talk of him holding out for a new deal never made sense.
Teams would look at that as another "here we go again" scenario that would have hurt Pickens' standing in the league. He made giant leaps forward in 2025 to change the narrative surrounding him, but it is clear that Dallas, along with other teams, wants to see it again.
Doing it for one year is fine, but doing it for multiple years to ease the fears over paying you long-term? That's what Pickens has to do.
Right now, you can make the case that it is the only thing standing between him and a potential $40 million APY contract next offseason.
