CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens could force Cowboys into franchise-altering choice
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The Dallas Cowboys have constructed one of the NFL’s most dangerous receiving tandems. Keeping it together beyond 2026 could prove much more difficult.
CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens give quarterback Dak Prescott two legitimate No. 1 options, but executive vice president Stephen Jones acknowledged Dallas could eventually face a difficult financial decision.
“I don’t know of any teams that really can pay two top receivers top of the market,” Jones said on the DLLS Cowboys podcast. “So that’s gonna be a real difficult situation as we move forward.”
For now, Dallas has pushed that conversation into 2027.
Pickens is playing the 2026 season on the $27.298 million franchise tag after producing 1,429 receiving yards and nine touchdowns last season. Rather than immediately committing to another massive contract, the Cowboys want the 25-year-old to put together consecutive productive seasons.
Pickens, meanwhile, has seemingly embraced the opportunity.
“George is really wanting to put back-to-back years on top of one another so it’ll help his market,” Jones said.
That’s where Dallas’ potential problem begins.
Cowboys facing $60 million dilemma
Lamb already carries one of the NFL’s richest receiver contracts, averaging $34 million with three years remaining. If Pickens delivers another elite season, his asking price could climb into similar territory.
Teams have successfully invested heavily in two receivers. Cincinnati has done so with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, though carrying two premium contracts at the position requires significant salary-cap maneuvering.
Dallas isn’t worrying about that yet.
The Cowboys instead appear focused on maximizing their current championship window. Prescott has Lamb and Pickens on the outside, tight end Jake Ferguson provides another established target, and Ryan Flournoy gives Dallas additional depth.
The combination could create matchup problems throughout the NFC.
But every big Pickens performance this season could simultaneously increase the price of keeping him.
Dallas wanted another year of evidence before making a long-term commitment.
If Pickens delivers it, the Cowboys could enter next offseason facing exactly the kind of expensive decision Jones already knows is coming.
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