Pickens' future takes center stage this offseason, and all eyes are on Jerry Jones to make sure it stays in Dallas.
Dallas Cowboys receiver George Pickens is likely beginning to understand what it is like to be a Cowboy, from a media attention perspective.
With Pickens an impending free agent, his future was the talk of Super Bowl week, overshadowing the two teams playing in the NFL's biggest game of the season.
As our own Mike Fisher has reported since November, the Cowboys' plan is to franchise tag Pickens and then try to work out a long-term deal.
Of course, some think that if the Cowboys tag Pickens, they'll then trade him, which personally, I don't see happening. Although the NFL is a never-say-never league.
Still, Dallas knows how valuable Pickens is to the team. Every play, coach, and executive in the organization knows it too.
But does Jerry Jones?
He has already stated he hopes Pickens is a Cowboy for a long time. Then again, he wanted Micah Parsons to be a Cowboy as well, reportedly offering $40 million APY.
And look how that turned out.
For CBS Sports' Zachary Pereles, Pickens is Dallas' big-ticket free agency item, and he puts a big question on Jerry in the process.
"Dallas is expected to franchise tag George Pickens, which doesn't preclude them from signing him long term," Pereles wrote. "But letting Pickens leave would be a major mistake. All of his intriguing potential came to be realized in 2025, when he caught 93 passes for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns, all career highs.
“Dallas had a top-10 offense and the NFL's worst scoring defense, though the latter can potentially be fixed with the draft capital they recouped in the Micah Parsons deal. Losing Pickens would be a mistake, and CeeDee Lamb knows it. We'll see if Jerry Jones does."
If Jerry didn't see trading Micah to a direct NFC rival, and one of Dallas' most hated, as a mistake, then moving on from Pickens likely won't be seen as such, either.
But the Cowboys do know how difficult it was for defenses to game-plan for their offense with Pickens, thanks to the defensive coordinator interviews.
So Jerry and the front office know how valuable George is to the team's success.
And yes, the Cowboys can afford to sign Pickens long-term, and they can afford the franchise tag. So throw out the notion that Dallas can't afford it. It can, if it wants to.
Most know that Pickens leaving would be catastrophic to the offense, not to mention what it would do to the locker room after Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and others have been so vocal about keeping George around.
Jerry made a mistake with Micah last offseason. Will history repeat itself with Pickens?
Goodness me, I hope not.