It is advisable for NFL players, especially teammates like George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb of the Dallas Cowboys, to not cast their eyes toward the paychecks of others. The market can be a fickle thing, and sometimes timing counts for more than talent or merit. But Pickens is a pending NFL free agent after having signed a one-year, $27.3 million franchise tag in the offseason, and though he has done well to not discuss his finances much, and to avoid looking ahead to free agency, there is no doubt that every catch he makes, every number he posts, has an impact on what he will be paid in four months or so.
When the season began, with Pickens coming off a massive 93-catch, 1,429-yard season in Dallas, there was speculation that he could demand a contract in the range of what top-paid receiver Jaxson Smith-Njigba received, four years and $168.6 million–or $42.2 million per year. Pickens has not played to that level, but that does not change the fact that he plays a premium position, and is likely to be paid a premium contract.
How High Would the Cowboys Go?
Whether the Cowboys will pay that deal is a fair question. They’ve already got Lamb on a four-year, $136 million contract, and though Lamb is obviously the superior receiver, the folks at Bleacher Report say that Pickens is likely to get a similar contract.
In sussing out what Pickens might get paid, the site listed Lamb ($34 million AAV), Zay Flowers ($35 million) or Garrett Wilson ($32.5 million) as comps. The site pegs Pickens as the No. 2 overall free agent in this winter’s class, and that will drive up his value. It is unlikely that, if the market on Pickens gets that high, the Cowboys would stay involved in re-signing him.
George Pickens a Top FA Target
From Bleacher Report, where fellow Cowboys star Joey Porter Jr. is also listed as a top 2027 free agent:
“George Pickens might not be the top wide receiver available on the 2027 market, but that won’t prevent him from being the top target for a lot of teams. He’s been an elite No. 2 receiver for the Dallas Cowboys. He will only turn 26 in March. …
“With a great blend of speed, size (6’3″, 200 lbs), and contested-catch ability, Pickens should heavily interest teams that need a go-to target and don’t want to dish out a market-topping contract. On the open market, he should fall somewhere in the range of Lamb, Garrett Wilson, and Zay Flowers.”
Cowboys’ George Pickens Gets Eye-Opening $136 Million Prediction