George Pickens Reportedly Not Eyeing Cowboys Contract, Wants to Show He's a 'Top Guy'

After being traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Dallas Cowboys, wide receiver George Pickens reportedly is in no rush to land a contract extension despite entering the final year of his rookie deal.

Clarence Hill Jr. of All City DLLS reported that Pickens is not seeking a contract extension after Wednesday's trade, as a source said he "wants to show he’s a top guy this year."

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler added that "the Cowboys' plan is for Pickens to play out his rookie deal."

After entering the NFL as a second-round pick in the 2022 draft, Pickens is set to make only $3.7 million in the last year of his rookie contract.

Pittsburgh would've faced an expensive future after acquiring star receiver DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks earlier this offseason and signing him to a five-year, $150 million extension. The team opted to trade Pickens rather than sign him to a new deal.

While Pickens has shown the potential for superstardom, he's yet to take the leap to being an elite wide receiver. After a breakout 2023 campaign in which he notched 63 catches for 1,140 yards and five touchdowns while averaging a league-high 18.1 yards per catch, he fell short of those numbers in 14 games last season. He finished the year with 59 catches for 900 yards and three touchdowns.

By joining Dallas, Pickens will be playing with another "top guy" in star receiver CeeDee Lamb. The four-time Pro Bowler is coming off yet another strong campaign in which he produced 101 receptions for 1,194 yards and six touchdowns, but the Cowboys suffered from not having a reliable No. 2 receiver to take the pressure off of him.

Pickens will be motivated to show that he can be a consistent source of production alongside Lamb as the Cowboys try to make a run to the playoffs in 2025.