George Pickens was pretty darn good with the Pittsburgh Steelers. But no way Steel City thought he would be this good when they traded him for a mere third-round pick (and a fifth- and sixth-round pick swap) back in May. Otherwise, they likely would have simply put up with his minor on-field antics.
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No doubt Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers was punching air as he watched Pickens’ “balletic” performance, to use the words of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, on MNF, wishing the WR was still in Black and Gold. But he’s not anymore.
And with displays like the nine-reception, 144-yard, one-touchdown he put forth on Monday night in the 33-16 win in Vegas, his new home in Dallas is unlikely to let him go any time soon. Well, unless more people like Dez Bryant come out of the woodwork to congratulate him on a great game, only to tell him it means he should give an “America’s Team” discount when he comes up for a new contract this spring.
“George Pickens..I want you to understand that whenever it’s time to negotiate your new contract.. your legacy will be worth more than being the highest paid wide receiver.. if you stayed with Cowboys. There’s a lot more to the thought process, but think about it,” Bryant wrote via X.
George Pickens..I want you to understand that whenever it's time to negotiate your new contract..your legacy will be worth more than being the highest paid wide receiver..if you stayed with Cowboys. There's a lot more to the thought process, but think about it….If I were Jerry……
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) November 18, 2025
It was a ridiculous thing to say after such a dominant performance. And the fans let Bryant have it. One believed Bryant was channeling his inner Jones with his remarks: “Dez hitting Pickens with the same pitch Jerry hit Dez with lmao.”
“Bro basically said, ‘Jerry ain’t paying you but please stay,’” joked another. “Bruh hell no. No hometown discounts. Get paid Pickens,” insisted one Twitter user.
“They could draft 10 WRs and not land another Pickens.. they’ve tried. They better find a way to keep him. Redo Dak & CD. Find the money. plus.. he seems happy here & CD isn’t a big ego guy (that I can see). They can coexist,” explained one very shrewd fan.
Pickens’ play is giving him leverage for any contract negotiations he enters into during the offseason when his contract is up—whether with Dallas or somewhere else. Jones himself gushing about Pickens’ talent only strengthens Pickens’ position. Here’s a peek at the 83-year-old owner’s glowing postgame remarks:
“Pickens was — I’ve never seen a performance like that. It was poetic the way that he was making those moves out there. It was like he was in an opera or something out there. A ballet.”
That’s high praise from a guy who’s watched the likes of Michael Irvin, Terrell Owens, Bryant, and CeeDee Lamb play for his Cowboys.
It’s no wonder Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson couldn’t believe what they were reading from Dez Bryant on Pickens’ potentially taking a pay cut.
“The legacy, yeah that’s cute too. But you can’t eat with that. You can’t pay no bills with that,” Ochocinco said on Nightcap.
“Your legacy is what the hell you do for [your kids] and how you leave them situated after your long gone! Damn an NFL legacy!” Sharpe chimed in.
No matter where he goes, if Pickens continues to play like he has for Dallas this season—11th in receptions with 58, second in yards with 908, third in TDs with seven, seventh in yards per reception with 15.7—he’s going to get a big fat contract that should make him the highest-paid wide receiver or thereabouts.
At least until Jaxon Smith-Njigba signs his deal. A contract like the one Lamb signed really wouldn’t be out of the question, considering Pickens has arguably been the better and more consistent weapon for Dallas.
Jerry just wrapped up a trio of stressful negotiations with Lamb and Dak Prescott. Now, he’s got another one coming quickly down the pipeline.
