Losing Micah Parsons was a big blow for the Dallas Cowboys defense last year, but Jerry Jones continues to spin the trade as a positive.
Jones used some of the draft capital gained in the Parsons trade to acquire defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. He still has a first round pick to use from that trade as well, which is expected to be used on a defensive player.
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In addition to these moves, Jones also has more room under the salary cap. Dallas already extended DaRon Bland and Tyler Smith, but they’re not done yet. According to Jones, they have the freedom to do whatever they need to now, including working out an extension with George Pickens.
Jones was asked if he believed the Cowboys could sign Pickens, even though fellow receiver CeeDee Lamb is already making an average of $34 million per season.
“Absolutely. A lot of the reasons I did some of things that I did last year was to retain some players that if it would have gone in different directions I couldn’t have done it,” Jones said.
Jerry Jones was asked can he pay George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb fair market value: “Absolutely. A lot of the reasons I did some of things that I did last year was to retain some players that if it would have gone in different directions I couldn’t have done it.”
— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) February 6, 2026
Pickens is scheduled for free agency and while the Cowboys can use the franchise tag, an extension would be preferable. Not only would that keep Pickens happy, but his contract could be spread out over the next several years rather than taking an estimated $28.1 million hit in 2026,
George Pickens has earned a huge payday
Agreeing to a long-term deal is easier said than done, especially after what Pickens accomplished in 2025.
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After being traded by the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pickens went off for the Cowboys. He had 93 receptions for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns. All of those stats were career highs and he was dominant enough to command north of $30 million this offseason.
Unfortunately, contract negotiations have been a sore subject in Dallas over the past three seasons, but the optimistic response from Jones is encouraging.
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