Cowboys shown another reason to strike a deal with George Pickens

One of the most talked-about aspects of the offseason for the Dallas Cowboys has been their on-again, off-again situation with wide receiver George Pickens. The team still hasn't notched a long-term contract deal with Pickens, and instead, they gave the wideout a franchise tag, guaranteeing him a high salary for 2026, but at the cost of him not being a free agent after his highest-performing year.

Pickens notched a career-high 1,429 yards and scored nine touchdowns last season, so he would have been a very in-demand talent if he had been on the market this offseason. Now, his hands are tied, and the Cowboys are locked into an expensive, one-year tag.

At this point, there's really no reason for Dallas not to want to make a deal with Pickens. Now, they just got one more reason to do it.

The Cowboys get another reason to keep George Pickens past 2026

In a piece for the NFL's official website, Bucky Brooks named Pickens the No. 3 most likely player to make the NFL's Top 100 players list for the first time before the upcoming season. He thinks Pickens will land in the top 50.

"After being traded to the Cowboys following a topsy-turvy run in Pittsburgh, the 6-3, 200-pounder showed the football world he is a legitimate WR1," Brooks states in the piece. "Despite sharing the marquee with CeeDee Lamb, Pickens ranked third in the league in receiving yards (1,429), averaging 15.4 yards per catch."

Brooks added that as the wideout "enters a contract year playing on the franchise tag, the rest of the league will pay close attention to the big-play weapon with a versatile game that makes him one of the most difficult playmakers to stop."

It's certainly the case that Pickens has unbeatable numbers, even sharing the stage with a blockbuster wide receiver like Lamb. There are plenty of franchises that will be in line to sign Pickens if the Cowboys don't work out a long-term deal with him.