Stephen Jones: Cowboys paying both Lamb, Pickens beyond 2026 ‘a real difficult situation’

They just can’t keep from stirring the pot, even when the current soup is simmering nicely, 11 days before the season opener and with optimism about the roster at an uncharacteristically high level.

The Cowboys avoided major drama this offseason as it pertained to wide receiver George Pickens. The ex-Steeler put up career-best numbers in his first season in Dallas, ending the 2025 campaign in the league’s top 10 in targets, catches, receiving yards. and receiving touchdowns. Instead of a big contract extension, though, the Cowboys gave the 25-year-old a non-exclusive franchise tag and told him in no uncertain terms that a long-term pact wasn’t coming. Nor was a trade. The tag represented a nice pay bump, but likely not what Pickens would have gotten on the open market.

The stage was set for a nasty showdown. Pickens could have chosen to hold out of training camp, play hardball through his agent, threaten to sit for the season, or all of the above. Instead, despite having a reputation for being exceptionally mercurial over his time in Pittsburgh, he signed the tender, came to work all summer, and was, by all accounts, a hard-working and exemplary team player, eager to build on a strong 2025.

Everyone seemed happy: Pickens, the Cowboys brass, and especially the fans.

And then Stephen Jones had to rain on the parade by bringing up next offseason, even before the regular season is officially underway.

Speaking this week about the apparent win-now mentality that has driven most of the Cowboys’ staffing, drafting, and roster-building decisions over the past several months, the team’s chief operating officer seemingly took the opportunity to start sowing doubt about keeping the band together beyond this year.

“I don’t know of any teams that really can pay two top receivers [at the] top of the market,” Jones told DLLS, even without being specifically asked about the receiving duo. “So you know, 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. Certainly, if everything works out the way we think it is, [where] CeeDee and George both have huge years again, then it’ll be a bigger challenge next year.”

Stephen Jones:

“You look at 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. That’s gonna be a real difficult situation…”#DallasCowboys | @clarencehilljrpic.twitter.com/tIZXtvZ1gr

— DLLS Cowboys (@DLLS_Cowboys) September 1, 2026

The Cowboys would technically be able to franchise tag Pickens a second time in March, but it would cost them even more than this year and has a much higher chance of sparking a contentious standoff with Pickens, who was a first-time Pro Bowler and second-team All-Pro in 2025.

Teams could have come to Pickens with a springtime offer. The Cowboys could have then either matched the offer or received two first-round picks to let him go. They didn’t, and now Pickens is betting on himself to repeat as one of the NFL’s most dangerous pass-catching weapons, deserving of a massive payday.

“George is really wanting to put back-to-back years on top of one another, so it’ll help his market,” Jones acknowledged. “Certainly, I know at some point, as does every player in this league, he’ll want to be rewarded with a long-term contract. So that certainly puts pressure on us to have a unique situation there at wide receiver.”

Nothing Jones said was inaccurate or even misleading. But choosing to bring up the team’s 2027 financial picture at wide receiver before the 2026 season has even started certainly makes it sound like the front office is openly viewing the upcoming campaign as the farewell tour for the Lamb/Pickens duo in Dallas.

As the season unfolds, don’t be surprised if buzz starts to build from the top of the organization about either Lamb or Pickens becoming an asset that the Cowboys will be looking to liquidate for a maximum return.

Todd is on X at @ToddBrock24f7. Also, follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!

This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Stephen Jones: Cowboys paying both Lamb, Pickens beyond 2026 ‘a real difficult situation’