Are Cowboys preparing to part ways with George Pickens before trade deadline?

A report from last week revealed that the Dallas Cowboys "have had internal discussions about a possible extension for receiver George Pickens, to the point where they've been examining the rosters and cap situations of teams...[that] are all paying multiple high-end receivers." 

That said, it doesn't sound like the Cowboys will lock Pickens down via a contract extension before the Nov. 4 trade deadline arrives. 

Have Cowboys made an extension offer to George Pickens?

On Tuesday afternoon, Cowboys insider Ed Werder of Dallas' WFAA-TV reported that the club has "not engaged in contract extension talks with WR George Pickens or his representatives." Pickens is in the final year of his rookie contract and has likely earned himself quite a pay raise via his play since the Cowboys acquired him from the Pittsburgh Steelers in May. 

ESPN stats show that Pickens ended Week 8 leading the Cowboys for the season with 685 receiving yards, 63 targets and six receiving touchdowns (tied with tight end Jake Ferguson). Pickens is second on the team with 43 total receptions. 

Why Cowboys could ultimately decide to trade George Pickens before Nov. 4

Werder added that the "franchise player designation is an option that would cost projected $28M" as it pertains to the Cowboys possibly retaining Pickens' rights for 2026. However, Tim Cowlishaw of The Dallas Morning News recently suggested the Cowboys can't afford to keep Pickens after the club signed wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and quarterback Dak Prescott to lucrative extensions ahead of the 2024 season. 

"In 2026, Dak Prescott has a $74M salary cap number," Cowlishaw wrote on Monday. "Lamb carries a $38.6M figure."

Meanwhile, the Cowboys should invest in their defense during the upcoming offseason. Dallas began Tuesday ranked 31st in the league in both yards allowed per game (404.6) and points surrendered per contest (31.3). 

3-4-1 Dallas next hosts the Arizona Cardinals (2-5) for a "Monday Night Football" clash on Nov. 3. Perhaps Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones will accept calls about Pickens' services if Dallas suffers an upset loss to the Cardinals in front of a prime-time audience. 

Previous reports indicated the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos are among the non-NFC East clubs that could be interested in acquiring a receiver this fall.