Will George Pickens' antics, recent performances keep Cowboys from signing him to contract extension? 

Throughout this season, Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones has insisted that he wants wide receiver George Pickens to continue playing for the club beyond Week 18.

Pickens is in the final year of his contract, and his actions since the middle of November have caused some to wonder if Jones could have second thoughts about the 24-year-old's future. Cowboys reporter Jon Machota of The Athletic addressed the topic for a mailbag published on Thursday. 

Are Cowboys still committed to holding onto George Pickens?

According to Machota, Pickens' lackluster performances over his past two games won't have "much" of an impact on how the Cowboys handle his status this offseason. 

"They understand that a big part of it is the extra attention coming his way from opposing defenses," Machota said about how the Cowboys feel regarding Pickens' play in back-to-back losses. "They also know how much more explosive the offense is with Pickens and CeeDee Lamb on the field together."

When at his best with the Cowboys, Pickens has performed like a potential Offensive Player of the Year Award winner. ESPN stats show he began Thursday ranked eighth in the NFL with 81 receptions, third with 1,212 receiving yards and seventh with eight touchdown catches. 

That said, the red flags that hovered over Pickens during his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers have resurfaced over the past month. He was benched for Dallas' first offensive series versus the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 11 after he reportedly missed the team bus. Pickens was then accused of running lazy routes in the Week 14 loss to the Detroit Lions. Over his past two games, he tallied eight receptions on 15 targets for 70 yards and no touchdowns.  

Will Cowboys sign George Pickens to long-term contract? 

"If I had to predict today, Pickens will end up getting the franchise tag," Machota added. "He obviously won’t like that idea. I just have my doubts about Jerry Jones’ being able to get a deal done with David Mulugheta after how ugly things got with Micah Parsons. Jones could prove me wrong, but the tag is more likely at this point. Either way, I don’t see a scenario where Pickens is playing anywhere but Dallas next season."

Machota was referencing how Jones declined to negotiate with Mulugheta throughout the summer before the Cowboys traded Parsons to the Green Bay Packers. As for how Pickens may feel about being tagged, he said on Wednesday that "all [he] can do is just keep one day forward and keep going."