FRISCO, Texas — Things can certainly change quickly in only a year. As the calendar turned to 2026, George Pickens is on the verge of joining historic company when he takes the field for the Dallas Cowboys in their finale against the New York Giants — a 180-degree turn from the narrative that was attached to him 365 days ago, and only weeks ahead of his first trip to NFL free agency.
On Sunday, Pickens will need only three more receptions and 80 additional receiving yards to join CeeDee Lamb and Michael Irvin as the only two players in franchise history to produce a 95 catch, 1,500-yard season and, as a reminder, it's his first year with the team and four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Dak Prescott.
Things didn't entirely go to plan for the Cowboys, but Pickens put the entire league on notice.
"It's super fun, definitely," Pickens said. "I'll definitely say the season's super fun. It's still going on, though. That'd be an excellent company to be in, with those two. But we've just gotta finish it strong and get us a victory."
His chemistry with Prescott, Lamb and others within the locker room was almost immediate, following the blockbuster trade to acquire him in the offseason from the Pittsburgh Steelers amid unfounded narratives that painted the former second-round pick as a troublesome and noncommittal to football.
"[The chemistry] is super important — especially in the brotherhood part," he said. "I feel like if you go on any team or any organization that you're in, if you don't know the people, you'll never really have a good time with them."
Not only has Pickens been the consummate teammate and professional, save for one missed curfew with Lamb who, at this point, can only be described as his twin brother, but the production has been off the charts en route to earning him a first-ever Pro Bowl nod in 2025.
As he puts a bow on his best season as a pro, he'll do so knowing free agency awaits him on the other side of Week 18, though he'll worry about that when the clock hits all zeroes at MetLife Stadium against the Giants.
"I'm kind of being where my feet are," Pickens said. "I think not knowing how stuff is gonna go, you kind of want to embrace definitely where you [are]."
That said, the offseason is inevitable and, soon, Pickens' feet will be entrenched in negotiations with owner and general manager Jerry Jones and the Cowboys' brass, the two sides having an opportunity to try and strike a deal before legal tampering allows the other 31 teams to begin making offers in early March.
Should no deal be agreed to, the Cowboys will have the option to place the exclusive franchise tag on Pickens, even if only as a placeholder to allow talks to continue to mid-July, and without interference from other teams.
Contract negotiations in the NFL, as Pickens will soon discover for the first time, aren't always warm and fuzzy (they rarely are, actually), but Prescott, who himself has gone multiple rounds with the Cowboys' front office in order to secure his deals, has some advice for the young receiver — particularly in light of what occurred in 2025 (you know what I'm speaking of here).
"Don't let it get personal," said the All-Pro quarterback. "At the end of the day, this is business. Both sides are gonna want negotiations. Honestly, me and Jerry's wasn't pretty at all, right? … Things are gonna come up, things aren't gonna sit right [with you]. You're gonna feel slighted when they [offer] you a million or two less than whatever you said, and that's just the business.
"Play the game. Play back. But don't let it get personal."
Wise words from someone who knows better than most what lives behind the curtain of NFL contract talks and, having taken notes from what occurred in 2025 (you know what I'm speaking of here), Pickens will let the business side of things be hashed out by the businessman, particularly David Mulugheta, his agent who also represents [insert the thing you know that I was speaking of, here].
"I definitely leave that type of stuff to my agent," said Pickens. "I let them talk the deals."
The 24-year-old simply wants to focus on football, and that thought process has helped him become one of the best in the entire league at his position, to a historic degree, and Pickens has done his part: dominating on the field in 2025, and being a highly-praised locker room guy off of it.
He'll soon discover what all of that will bring him in 2026 and beyond.
