CeeDee Lamb Willing to Take Pay Cut to Keep George Pickens at Cowboys

Pickens is a free agent, and his running mate in Lamb replied ‘if necessary’ when asked if he would restructure his contract to retain Pickens.

Ceedee Lamb #88 of the Dallas Cowboys waves to fans after his team's 30-23 victory against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md., on Dec. 25, 2025. Greg Fiume/Getty Images

The Dallas Cowboys went 7-9-1 in the 2025 NFL season, missing the postseason for the second year in a row. But it was a bit of an accomplishment for the team to even reach seven victories, considering its defense.

Dallas ranked 32nd on that side of the ball, and not only did it allow the most points in franchise history, but the 511 points given up was the sixth-most in a single season in NFL history. Thus, the offense deserves lots of credit for keeping the Cowboys in postseason contention until the end of the year.

A big part of that offense was wide receiver, George Pickens, who was acquired from the Pittsburgh Steelers last offseason for a third round and fifth round draft pick. Pickens starred with a star on his helmet, with career highs across the board. He had 93 receptions for 1,429 yards and 9 touchdowns, ranking among the top eight players in all three categories.

However, part of the reason why Pittsburgh traded him away was because Pickens was entering the final year of his rookie contract, and the team didn’t want to extend him. Now, that burden falls on the Cowboys, as Pickens is set to become an unrestricted free agent once the 2026 league year begins.

The market for a 25-year-old wideout coming off nearly 1,500 yards will understandably be a robust one, and given that the Cowboys already have a No. 1 receiver in CeeDee Lamb, many think Pickens will be elsewhere come next season.

Lamb, though, is not one of those people. Ahead of the Super Bowl, the receiver appeared on “The Dan Patrick Show” to discuss his teammate and was asked by the host if Pickens would return to Dallas next season.

“He has no choice. I say that,” Lamb stated before being asked if he would give up any money or restructure his contract to make Pickens’ return more likely.

“I mean, if necessary, honestly. I’m pretty good [financially]. But I know he’s gonna get every penny he deserves.”

Lamb is certainly more than “pretty good” when it comes to his contract situation. Two weeks before the start of the 2024 NFL season, Lamb signed a four-year, $136 million contract extension that will keep him in Dallas through the 2028 season. At the time, it was the second-largest contract ever given to a wide receiver in NFL history, in terms of total value, average annual value, and guaranteed money.

Only Justin Jefferson ($140 million) had a larger deal, and with Ja’Marr Chase ($161 million) since signing a larger contract, Lamb’s deal still ranks as the third biggest for any wideout ever.

While Lamb’s comments likely carry some weight within the organization, it is one man who writes the checks in team owner/GM Jerry Jones. He notoriously plays hardball when it comes to extending contracts of Cowboys players, but Jones—at least verbally—is very much on board with Pickens returning next season and far beyond.

Pickens’ contract situation is the No. 1 point of discussion regarding the Cowboys in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and Jones was specifically asked about it during the lead-up to the Super Bowl. While Jones didn’t reveal the nature of their discussions and if they are close to an extension, he made it clear that he wants Pickens to have a star on his helmet for “a long time.”

“I’m talking to George all the time by virtue of my excitement for him,” Jones said about extension talks with Pickens. “He’s better than, as far as what he contributed to our team, showing the potential that he could contribute. I’m looking forward to getting things worked out so George can be a Cowboy a long time.”

While that is music to the ears of Cowboys Nation, and to Pickens, it was just a year ago that those in Dallas heard a similar refrain about Micah Parsons. Saying you want to bring a player back and actually doing it are two separate things. And as we all know, Parsons was eventually traded to the Green Bay Packers on the eve of the season.

Making matters more complicated this time around with Pickens is that the man that Jones could never see eye-to-eye with a year ago—in Parsons’ agent David Mulugheta—just so happens to be Pickens’ agent as well. It was just in December 2025 that Jones stated, “I don’t know” when asked if he would negotiate with Mulugheta this time around in regard to Pickens’ extension.

Thus, there is just as much trepidation as there is hope in Pickens returning to Big D, despite what Jones has said, and what Lamb is willing to do.

Pickens’ return is essential for Dallas to avoid a third straight losing season, which would be just the second time in the 39-year history that Jones has owned the team that the Cowboys suffered three straight losing seasons. The first time (2000-02) saw the team go 5–11 for three straight years, which resulted in the firing of head coach Dave Campo after the third season.