In his first -- and so far only -- season with the Dallas Cowboys, George Pickens was at his best statistically across the board.
His 93 receptions, 1,429 receiving yards and nine touchdown catches were all career bests by sizable margins. Thus, the impending free-agent wide receiver readily admits he'd love to stay put with the Cowboys, but insists it's not completely in his control.
"I would love to," Pickens said Monday when asked if he'd like to remain with the team for the long term, via the team website's Tommy Yarrish. "But when you can't control it, you kind of just hope for the best."
The best for Pickens, speaking from his first Pro Bowl Games appearance, is likely to be a very lucrative long-term deal with the Cowboys or another suitor, if Dallas doesn't franchise tag him.
A 2022 NFL Draft second-round selection of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pickens was traded to the Cowboys in the 2025 offseason and made a $3.65 million base salary in the final year of his rookie contract. Pickens will command upwards of $20 million a year moving forward with a franchise tag estimate to guarantee him $28 million-plus.
With fellow Cowboys Pro Bowl wideout CeeDee Lamb due $25 million in base salary in 2026 and quarterback Dak Prescott, offensive lineman Tyler Smith, defensive tackle Kenny Clark and others also carrying hefty cap hits, the Cowboys will have to crunch the numbers.
What is Pickens looking for? Well, right now he's hoping for the optimum for everyone involved and saying all the right things.
"Just the ultimate best deal when it helps everybody," he said. "If it's the best thing for both parties, then I'm willing to do anything. But like I said, I can't control it, so I just kind of chill."
It wouldn't be an offseason without a lingering Cowboys contract extension to work itself out -- or not, as came to be last year when Micah Parsons was traded to the Green Bay Packers after Dallas and the pass rusher couldn't work out a deal.
Pickens hasn't talked to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones or anyone else about an extension and indicated he was uncertain if his agent had.
"No, not me personally," he said. "Definitely, probably my agent. He doesn't tell me who he calls all the time, so definitely just kind of wait it out and hope for the best."
It's not all that alarming news in the infant days of February. With the shadow of the Parsons transaction still hanging over Dallas, however, the concern is likely to build quicker.
And Pickens realizes that perfect as the fit has been with the Cowboys. He put together an outstanding season and has risen to new heights and raised his price tag.
"I feel like, if anything, it went up," he said. "But me personally, my value is just a playmaker type of guy. I feel like any team or wherever I play, I can be playing in Canada, I just want them to know that I'm definitely a playmaker."
