The Dallas Cowboys are on the doorstep of acquiring their "explosive" second-option wide receiver and putting an end to an offseason-long saga of position concerns.
Sources tell CowboysCountry.com, the Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers are finalizing a trade that sends receiver George Pickens and a 2026 sixth-round draft pick to Dallas in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick.
Pickens, 24, joins the Cowboys after beginning a promising - yet controversial - NFL career.
He was a second-round pick out of Georgia in 2022, and his three-year career with the Steelers has seen him haul in 174 receptions for 2,841 yards and 12 touchdowns. Pickens' "explosive" capabilities have been best seen in 2023 when he led the NFL with an average of 18.1 yards per reception.
However, both on and off the field, Pickens has gotten himself into trouble.
He has accumulated 10 fines worth more than $120,000 in his career so far. That is not to mention his occasional outbursts in the locker room.
Pickens is entering the final year of his rookie contract, which was originally a four-year, $6.75 million deal.
Entering the 2025 season, Pickens will not receive any more signing bonus, making his total cap hit exactly what his base salary is for Year 4: $3.65 million.
With Dallas coughing up valuable draft capital, we expect a contract extension to be in the works. But as mentioned, it could rely on Pickens showing character development and earning his next deal.
So this could be in the works. Or ... it could take some time. The organization has plenty of it to work with here.
Spotrac projects Pickens' next contract to be in the neighborhood of the richest among all "No. 2" receivers in the NFL. His market value is currently set at $25.3 million average annual salary. That number would put him as the 11th highest-paid receiver in the NFL, currently.
For further reference, Jaylen Waddle (second option to Tyreek Hill) makes an average of $28 million a year, which is about the top of the totem pole for this situation.
Will Dallas go that high? And if so, when?
That number is pretty steep for Dallas' typical liking, but waiting on an extension can prove how much Pickens has earned one. Dallas can also lighten his cap load by stretching the terms to weigh heavier in later years.
If this is the case, Pickens could become more than just a one-year experiment.
But remember, more pressure weighs on his mental growth than physical performance in earning this deal, as it stands now.
Pickens' agent? David Mulugheta.
Well, well, well.
Mulugheta is a familiar name for Cowboys Nation as he also represents Dallas' star defensive end Micah Parsons, who is still waiting on a massive contract extension of his own.
The agent's name was brought to the forefront of media attention earlier this offseason when Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones admitted to only having contract negotiation talks with Micah directly ... saying he didn't even know the agent's name.
Jerry is about to get a lot more familiar with him (if he isn't already) with the addition of George Pickens.
Still, the Brian Schottenheimer "character-first" regime will look to tighten the screws on Pickens' behavior in order to maximize his incredible receiver potential.
The wideout's future in Dallas depends on it.
Stay up tuned to CowboysCountry.com for more.
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