There’s been little doubt to who the breakout star on the Dallas Cowboys was this season — it’s been first year wide receiver George Pickens.
That point was only further reinforced when the NFL All-Pro selections were announced on Saturday, January 10, with Pickens the only position player selected for the Cowboys, earning second team honors.
Kicker Brandon Aubrey and return specialist Kavontae Turpin were also selected to the second team — the third consecutive selection for Aubrey and second consecutive selection for Turpin.
Both Aubrey and Turpin were undrafted and Pickens came to the Cowboys in May via a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a third round pick.
It’s the first All-Pro selection for Pickens, who finished fourth in the NFL in receiving with 93 receptions for 1,429 yards and 9 touchdowns.
Controversy With Chase Selected Over Pickens
While Pickens received praise for his second team pick, the bigger debate seemed to be how he wasn’t the third first team receiver alongside Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nucua and Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Instead, that third spot went to Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who had 125 receptions for 1,412 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns and was suspended for one game for spitting on an opponent.
The Cowboys finished 7-9-1 and missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season. The Bengals went 6-11 and missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season.
“How did George Pickens not get first team All-pro over Ja’Marr Chase?” Fantasy Football analyst William Spencer III wrote on his official X account.
“Honestly I think George Pickens should’ve made first-team ALL PRO over Ja’Marr Chase,” BKS Sports wrote on X.
The All-Pro selection, even though its second team, now gives Pickens massive leverage in any contract negotiations, where he’ll be the most coveted player in the 2026 free agent cycle.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox put Pickens at No. 1 on his list of the Top 50 free agents available in the 2026 cycle and predicts he’ll receive a 4-year, $124 million contract.
That’s if the Cowboys don’t hit Pickens with a franchise tag, which would pay him approximately $29.5 million in 2026 … and probably make Pickens pretty unhappy.
“Pickens should be the top target of virtually all teams in need of a true top target, provided they have the cap flexibility to offer a top-10 receiver contract,” Knox wrote. “Of course, Dallas is likely to ensure that Pickens never receives those offers.”
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott Snubbed for NFL All-Pro
This was a tough year to try and crack the NFL All-Pro Team as a quarterback for Cowboys star Dak Prescott, who re-established himself as one of the NFL’s best players in 2025 after missing 10 games due to injury in 2024.
Prescott finished third in the NFL with 4,552 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions but couldn’t overtake the 2 leading NFL MVP candidates with Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (first team) and New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (second team).
“Dak Prescott finishes the season with 4,552 yards and 30 TDs Four seasons with 4,000 yards and 30 TDs since 2019 — more than any other NFL QB,” Pro Football Focus wrote on its official X account.
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott, WR George Pickens Learn NFL All-Pro Fates