The rallying Dallas Cowboys are saddled with serious decisions this offseason.
After trading for troubled Steelers receiver George Pickens entering his walk year, the Cowboys look like geniuses as the receiver already has set a new career high and ranks second in the NFL with 1,142 receiving yards spanning 12 games.
No one has doubted Pickens’ talent, but now the Cowboys need to decide if they will re-sign the star receiver, who had a checkered past in Pittsburgh.
George Pickens has been a star for the Cowboys since being traded. AP“He ain’t leaving,” one unnamed source told ESPN when asked about Pickens’ upcoming free agency, where he will likely command a massive salary north of $30 million annually.
The expectation would be that the Cowboys would franchise tag Pickens if they are unwilling to meet the massive salary demands that Pickens has earned this year.
Team owner Jerry Jones, who famously had a contract spat with pass rusher Micah Parsons and eventually traded him to the Packers in a situation that got personal, is happy with Pickens’ performance.
“I’m proud he’s having the season he’s having,” Jones said. “It exceeds anything we could have hoped for.”
Star quarterback Dak Prescott has loved having him here as well.
Underdog is where football fans become winners.
- Easy player picks
- No season-long commitments
- Real prizes every single night
Use promo code NYPOST5 to get $50 in site credits when you play $5!
“I think that’d be a priority in the offseason,” Prescott said. “Right now, has it come up? Maybe joking here or there, whether it be to George or whether it be to Jerry. … But I’m all-in for [keeping Pickens].”
Coach Brian Schottenheimer also said that he’s “very in favor of George having a long-term future with us.”
Part of the previous issues for Pickens, the report states, is instability at quarterback.
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect“He might miss a team bus or be late on occasion, but [the Cowboys] can live with that,” a Dallas source said to ESPN, adding that the Cowboys are accustomed to dealing with star receivers dating back to Dez Bryant. “He’s been a hard worker and has been accountable, and that’s been the important part.”
The Cowboys (6-5-1) have a massive game ahead of them Thursday night against the Lions (7-5-1) with big playoff implications.
