The Dallas Cowboys and offseason contract drama. Name a better duo.
It has been Dak Prescott, then CeeDee Lamb, then last season it was Micah Parsons.
All were messy and long sagas, and they didn’t need to be.
So, as we enter another offseason, the Cowboys have several stars they need to take care of.
One is Pro Bowler George Pickens.
After a season that saw Pickens post 1,429 yards and 9 TDs from 93 receptions, the franchise has made it clear that they want George around in 2026.
But money is the deciding factor.
We’ve spoken at length here, thanks to our own Mike Fisher, who states the franchise tag is the most likely option for Pickens and Dallas, because it is the “easier path” this offseason.
The tag is roughly $28 million APY.
But yes, Pickens is a priority, so is All-Pro Brandon Aubrey.
I could make the case that he is the “easiest” to get done.
Offer $6.5 million APY, making him the highest-paid kicker in the NFL (Harrison Butker at $6.4 currently is) over four years, and away you go.
But we know it isn’t that simple.
And ESPN’s Dan Graziano has given his prediction for what Aubrey’s contract could look like.
“He’s clearly a difference-maker at a position that’s gaining value in the era of super-long field goals and the necessary precision of the revamped kickoff,” Graziano wrote.
“He’s also a restricted free agent, which gives the Cowboys a lot of leverage in negotiations. But these Cowboys contract extension conversations have a way of getting complicated, and we shouldn’t assume an open-and-shut deal here.”
That would be a fair deal.
Graziano’s prediction wouldn’t make Aubrey the highest-paid kicker, with an average salary of $6.1 million APY, but it is still close enough.
This “should” be a rather straightforward negotiation for the Cowboys and Aubrey.
Mainly because we aren’t talking about a contract worth $40 million APY, it is “only” $6 million.
In truth, there isn’t any reason why this should be a long, drawn-out process. But then again, we know how the Cowboys generally do business.
So yes, it should be open and shut, but we know that likely won’t be how this one plays out.
