It’s a risk the Cowboys have historically been willing to take, as evidenced by how they handled the aforementioned situations with Prescott and Lawrence. Neither resulted in significantly different costs in terms of average annual salary, but player health — Prescott suffered a season-ending injury while playing on the roster in 2020 — also plays a role in determining market value.
“These guys play in different situations,” Schottenheimer said. “They love the game of football, football. George is no different. We’re thrilled George is here and we expect him to have another great year. He was a big part of the success we had last year, and that’s not going to change.”
The Cowboys acknowledged that financial factors played a significant role in their decision to let Pickens play through 2026 on the label, which the wide receiver has yet to sign. They only need to look beyond the Cincinnati Bengals to see how having two nice complements can affect the rest of the team’s construction.
After going through a season where their defense proved to be their downfall, the Cowboys aren’t interested in handcuffing themselves financially in 2026.
“It’s not easy to have two receivers who get paid at the top of the market,” Jones said. “Obviously, it’s tough, especially when you have other great players on your team, a quarterback who’s been here and been the highest-paid player in this league for years now. Sure, that’s part of it. The other thing is the latest thing is that George is here. I think George has just done an amazing job. He’s exceeded all expectations … So that’s a plus.
“A lot of these things, they work their way toward a long-term deal, but that’s the biggest part of it. Between the trades and the novelty of it, I think that’s a big part of it.”
With two picks in the top 20 in this week’s draft, the Cowboys could also find a long-term (and much more affordable) replacement for Pickens. Spending a first round pick on a position that isn’t really needed — especially when the defense is asking for more reinforcements — would be another risky play, but it worked for them at one time when they took Lamb while Amari Cooper was on the roster.
“It’s all part of the global picture … Certainly, you’re always looking at it,” Jones said of potentially selecting a receiver in the 2026 draft. “It’s just like we did when we took CeeDee Lamb. We had some really good receivers on this team, but we took him.”
“Certainly, it wouldn’t be any different if we look at the board and our number will be called to pick and we’ll make that decision at that point. But we’re certainly not against taking the best player on our board. That’s usually where we’ve had the most success is doing that.”
As is almost always the case, the cowboys are still a fascinating subject. They could become an even more compelling franchise this weekend.