If getting paid is truly the most important thing for Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens — and absolutely no one can fault him if it is — then his best chance at maximizing his value is likely on another team.
It also might mean Pickens has to bite the bullet and spend a year or 2 playing for a team that’s in full rebuilding mode but has extra money to spend.
“Tennessee Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi can aid quarterback Cam Ward’s growth with the addition of a big-play pass-catcher, but the free-agent wide receiver class could be light on explosive options, especially if the Indianapolis Colts franchise-tag Alec Pierce,” Moton wrote. “Nonetheless, the Titans could bolster their lackluster receiver unit in a trade scenario with the Dallas Cowboys … The Titans have their Day 2 picks for the upcoming draft and $104.8 million in cap space. They have the resources to strike a deal for Pickens if the Cowboys are open for business.”
Getting back the Titans’ 2026 2nd and 3rd round picks might do the trick for the Cowboys, who are in dire need of help on the defensive side of the ball.
Cowboys’ Finances Seem Out of Whack
Pickens is looking to be paid market value for his services, which would almost certainly put him among the Top 10 paid players at his position — think something along the lines of a 4-year, $120 million contract which would pay him approximately $30 million per year, although he might be able to get more than that.
If the Cowboys franchise tag Pickens, it would pay him $28 million for 2026.
The Cowboys traded a 2026 3rd round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for Pickens in May 2025 after he burned every bridge he could in 3 years in Pittsburgh. Pickens responded with career highs of 93 receptions for 1,429 yards and 9 touchdowns on the way to earning NFL All-Pro honors for the 1st time.
“Pickens wants to stay with the Cowboys, but he’s not going to take less than market value,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said. “He’s not going to cut them any deals.”
The problem with Pickens staying with the Cowboys is they’re already paying 1 wide receiver, CeeDee Lamb, over $30 million per year and are already approximately $66.7 million over the salary cap.
“There isn’t a team currently paying 2 wide receivers over $30 million each,” ESPN analyst Louis Riddick said. “That doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be and that there won’t be soon. This seems like a situation where it could happen.”
Titans Likely To Continue Being Awful
While the Titans do have a promising young quarterback in 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward, the rest of the franchise is an abject disaster.
The Titans fired head coach Brian Callahan just 6 games into the 2025 season and replaced him with San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who went 20-36 in 4 seasons as the head coach of the New York Jets from 2021 to 2024.
The Titans haven’t had a winning record since 2021 and have finished in last place in the AFC South Division for 3 consecutive years, including back-to-back 3-14 records in 2024 and 2025.
