How CeeDee Lamb Impacted George Pickens' Cowboys Contract Revealed in New NFL Rumors

Having invested a lot in the wide receiver position, the Dallas Cowboys want to be sure about George Pickens before handing out another big contract.

"There are a few reasons the Cowboys want to see Pickens do it again before deciding whether to commit long-term money to him," ESPN's Dan Graziano wrote Tuesday. "They're already paying wide receiver CeeDee Lamb an average of $34 million per year, and carrying two of the highest-paid receivers in the league would be a salary cap challenge."

Pickens signed his one-year franchise tender, which is worth $27.3 million for the 2026 NFL season. With that on the books, Dallas has the fourth-biggest annual outlay on wideouts ($76.1 million).

This was the risk in acquiring the 2022 second-round pick when he was only a year out from free agency.

It's good for the Cowboys he performed so well last season, catching 93 passes for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns. But the team now has a bit of a financial headache.

Ridiculous Pickens Catch 🤧

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Pickens' value is going to climb even higher if he has another strong year in 2026. He could plausibly join the Seattle Seahawks' Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cincinnati Bengals' Ja'Marr Chase in the $40 million club. That would create a scenario where Dallas has two of the five highest-paid receivers.

It's too early to say the Cowboys will face a situation where they basically have to choose between Lamb and Pickens. Things may come to that, though, if the pair remain prolific through the air.