Jerry Jones Sings Different Tune Than Stephen Jones on George Pickens' Future With Cowboys

Jerry Jones is not ruling out George Pickens staying with the Dallas Cowboys beyond 2026 and is seemingly more optimistic than Stephen Jones is. The popular belief is that George Pickens might be playing his final season with the Dallas Cowboys in 2026, but owner Jerry Jones isn't exactly subscribing to that. It has long been believed that eventually the Cowboys will have to let Pickens go in some form or fashion because it's difficult to pay big money to two receivers, which can inhibit the Cowboys' ability to address the roster elsewhere. Even Stephen Jones has hinted the Cowboys might not be able to do it, which painted a grim picture for Pickens' future in Dallas. "The situation we have with George Pickens going alongside CeeDee... I don't know of any teams that really can pay two top receivers top of the market," Jones said. "So, yeah. That's going to be a real difficult situation as we move forward. We've managed to figure out how we can do it for this year." However, during an appearance on 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday, Jerry Jones made it clear that he isn't ruling out Pickens remaining with the Cowboys beyond 2026. "I'm excited what he has to do with us this year and in coming years, and I emphasize that, in coming years," Jones said, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic. "The better he plays, the better it is for him," Jones added on Pickens, per ESPN's Todd Archer. Jones is right in saying that the better Pickens plays, the better it is for him, as his price will only go up if he keeps playing at a high level. But that would also make it more difficult for the Cowboys to keep him, something Stephen Jones has also spoken about. "Certainly, if everything works out the way we think it is, which CeeDee and George both have huge years again, then it'll be a bigger challenge next year," Jones said. "George is really wanting to put back-to-back years on top of one another so it'll help his market. And certainly I know at some point, as does every player in this league, will want to be rewarded with a long-term contract. So that certainly puts pressure on us to have a unique situation there." Pickens had the production in 2025 to warrant a lucrative, long-term deal in 2026, but concerns over his past behavioral issues certainly played a big (and probably the biggest) role in Dallas balking at even negotiating with Pickens. Thankfully, Pickens was amenable to the franchise tag and did not hold out, but that won't be the case in 2027 if he posts another big year and stays out of trouble, two things that will greatly increase his market around the NFL. So, while the Cowboys might still have control over him in 2027 via the franchise tag, that could be quite a turbulent approach to keeping him around for another season. Cowboys can (but shouldn't) keep George Pickens Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens (3) stretches before practice at the Ford Center at the Star Training Facility in Frisco, Texas. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect In this day and age, there are countless ways for the Cowboys to figure out how to keep Pickens, even on an expensive contract, but that isn't the issue here. The real issue is having so much of the team's salary cap wrapped up in two wide receivers when you include CeeDee Lamb. After all, having Pickens and Lamb — who will be due for a new deal himself in the next few years — on big contracts will make it tough for Dallas to address bigger needs moving forward. We continue to believe that the Cowboys will ultimately let one of them go, and more likely than not it'll be Pickens through a tag-and-trade scenario. — Sign up for the Cowboys Daily Digest newsletter for more free coverage from Dallas Cowboys on SI — Today's best reads This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/cowboys/ as Jerry Jones Sings Different Tune Than Stephen Jones on George Pickens' Future With Cowboys.