Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

George Pickens Report Emerges on Thursday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Max Escarpio | Last updated Nov 27, 2025 12:57 PM ET

The Dallas Cowboys are fighting for a playoff spot in a tight NFC race. Entering Thanksgiving Day, they are 5-5-1 with a huge showdown against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Cowboys traded away superstar edge rusher Micah Parsons right before the start of the season. It ended a long, drama-filled time with Parsons.

However, the Cowboys did land wide receiver George Pickens in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers this past offseason.

The former Georgia Bulldogs star is in the final year of his contract. He has been a huge part of the offense, and he leads the team in receptions (67), receiving yards (1,054) and touchdowns (8) entering Thursday's game.

The big question has been whether or not Pickens will stay in Dallas after the 2025 season.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens during an NFL game. Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

On Thanksgiving Day, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network gave some more insight into the Pickens' contract discussion.

"This is a contract year, and my understanding is the Cowboys are expected to keep him around, likely with the franchise tag," Rapoport said. "It will be expensive. They will try to work outa long-term deal, they don't have a ton of cap space. But they don't want him going anywhere."

From @NFLGameDay Morning: The #Cowboys want to bring back WR George Pickens for 2026 and beyond, while #Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs could be the next Detroit star to get a huge deal. pic.twitter.com/90hPDCWi5K
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 27, 2025

The franchise tag is estimated to be around $28 million for wide receivers in 2026, so it is an expensive price tag. On the other hand, inking him to the tag would allow the Cowboys to negotiate a long-term contract while keeping him away from the free agent market.

Earlier in the week, owner Jerry Jones made it clear how he feels about keeping Pickens and CeeDee Lamb together, via Tommy Yarrish of Cowboys.com.

"No, I do not at this time," Jones said when asked if he sees Pickens going elsewhere. "We've got two number one receivers and that's just exceptional right at the time, guess what? Our quarterback is probably the best that he's ever been. There's more there."

Lamb has 44 catches for 632 yards and two scores in eight games, and the Lamb-Pickens WR duo has been fun to watch in Dallas.

Pickens is in the final year of his rookie deal, and with the season he is having, he would command big money if he hits free agency. As of now, all signs point to the Cowboys trying to keep him long-term.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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