Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Wide receiver George Pickens broke out fully this past season as a member of the Dallas Cowboys. Playing alongside star wideout CeeDee Lamb and quarterback Dak Prescott, Pickens finally showed everyone what he could do in the NFL.

*PREDICTION*

With the Cowboys, the 24-year-old put up 93 catches for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns. Pickens was a perfect complementary piece to Lamb for this team, helping him to earn Second Team All-Pro honors and his first Pro Bowl appearance.

Pickens was scheduled to head into free agency, and after the year that he put together, he was expected to be paid on the open market. But losing him for nothing wasn’t in the plans of the Cowboys, so the team decided to place the franchise tag on the veteran wide receiver.

However, even with this idea, it seems as if the Cowboys will now explore different avenues with Pickens to see if he will remain in Dallas. According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Dallas views the idea of tagging the star and then trading him as a potential reality this offseason.

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Should Cowboys Trade George Pickens?

Replacing the production of Pickens in the lineup wouldn’t be easy for the Cowboys, and the team seemed to find a solid trio offensively this season. Pickens was a heavily relied upon presence on the field for Prescott, and losing him would see this high-powered offense be taken back to normal.

The big issue for the Cowboys this season was on the defensive side of the ball, but the front office did make some moves to rectify this. Adding star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams at the trade deadline should help this unit for next season, but keeping the offense consistent is also a concern.

While Dallas would love to keep Pickens on the roster for the long haul, paying him could be tough. On the surface, moving away from the star wideout doesn’t make sense, but financially, it could cause some unwanted problems.

Just last season, we saw the Cowboys trade away star pass rusher Micah Parsons rather than pay him, and we could see a similar situation play out with Pickens. Pickens is an elite offensive playmaker, but the salary situation for the Cowboys could push the front office to go one way or another.

George Pickens Projected Contract

According to Spotrac, Pickens is projected to earn a deal that averages around $30 million a year, if not more. With the Cowboys already having the highest-paid quarterback, the highest-paid offensive guard, and the No. 3 highest-paid wide receiver on the roster, paying Pickens this type of money could be tough.

How George Pickens Came to Dallas Cowboys?

The Cowboys landed George Pickens in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers last offseason, giving up a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick in the process. But after the strong year that Pickens just put together, Dallas could nab an even better trade return for him.

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