(Editor's note: The content provided is based on opinions and/or perspective of the DallasCowboys.com editorial staff and not the Cowboys football staff or organization.)
FRISCO, Texas — It's the time of the offseason when the rubber begins meeting the road for the Dallas Cowboys. The biggest waves of free agency and the drama of the 2026 NFL Draft are now both in the rear view mirror, and the page now turns to OTAs, minicamp and the heated position battles awaiting players in training camp.
But before they turn the page to begin OTAs in early June, let's take a moment to dive into several key players on the current roster who either have plenty to prove, or have already proven plenty and are seeking the validation of a Super Bowl trophy.
Introducing the brand-new series "3 Points", and it continues with All-Pro wide receiver George Pickens.
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Any questions surrounding Pickens' ability to take over games, consistently, and to be a No. 1 receiver in the league were not only put to bed in 2025, but they were buried beneath the house where the bed was. In times when CeeDee Lamb was unavailable due to injury, Pickens nearly saved the day singlehandedly, rattling off highlight after highlight en route to averaging a career-best 84 yards per game. Want to know how much better he was with Dak Prescott at the helm? Well, that's nearly 20 yards per game more than his best season in Pittsburgh, and despite not being the top target when Lamb was on the field — earning his first-ever Pro Bowl nod and Second-team All-Pro honor.
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Here's what averaging nearly 100 yards per game gets you: 1,429 yards from scrimmage. That number alone blows his previous career-best with the Steelers (1,140 yards in 2023) out of the water, and when you add in the fact his also delivered nine touchdowns — four more than his best season in the black and yellow — and it becomes crystal-clear that Pickens isn't, nor was he ever, a No. 2 receiver. CeeDee Lamb was right in his prediction that the Cowboys do, in fact, have two No. 1 guys at the position; and that will likely bear itself out even more in 2026.
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The previous two points bring us to this very key figure. Having now signed his franchise tag and with the agreement/understanding that he and the Cowboys will table long-term contract talks until next offseason so that they can gain a larger sample size, Pickens is set to earn a $27.3 million in 2026. For anyone doubting he'd sign the tender, please consider that he's not only betting on himself in a situation wherein he'll likely be proven very right and, as such, earn more than the $27.3 million after this coming season; but also that Pickens earned a total of $8.8 million total over his first four years in the NFL. His 2026 salary will be more than triple that, and every penny of it is fully guaranteed. All the chips are on the table for Pickens, and he looks ready to cash in, deservedly so.
