George Pickens put together the best season of his career in 2025. After being traded from Pittsburgh Steelers to Dallas Cowboys last May, Pickens recorded 93 receptions for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns in 17 games. The best part? All career highs.

After posting those solid numbers, he made the Pro Bowl, earned AP Second-Team All-Pro honors, and instantly became one of the most dynamic wideouts in the NFC alongside CeeDee Lamb.

Dallas wanted to send him flowers after that breakout campaign but ended up slapping a franchise tag on him instead of a long-term deal. Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones told reporters the organization made a decision to have Pickens play under the franchise tag and that there would be no negotiations on a long-term deal.

Moreover, with Dak Prescott the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL at $60 million annually and Lamb among the top-paid receivers in the league, Jerry Jones had no appetite to add a third monster contract at the skill positions.

However, the Cowboys are still considering a big payday for him, but they are reportedly monitoring his off-field behavior first. ESPN’s Todd Archer reported that Pickens was internally fined in 2025 for being late, specifically for missing the team bus on a game day.

And for this move, the Cowboys owner is getting some praise from his critic Mark Schlereth.

Cowboys praised for not offering George Pickens long-term contract

Schlereth is widely viewed as one of Jerry Jones’ biggest critics, consistently attacking the core of Jones’ organizational structure and leadership style, which he believes has prevented Dallas from winning championships.

He has called the Cowboys “the Jacksonville Jaguars with better marketing” and previously said on his “Stinkin’ Truth Podcast” that “this is why the Cowboys will never win s— because Jerry Jones can’t help himself.”

So when Schlereth sides with the Cowboys front office, it gets attention.

On a recent episode of his podcast with co-host Mark Evans, Schlereth unloaded on Pickens’ effort away from the ball and the part that never shows up in a box score.

“That dude is as lazy as the day is long,” Schlereth claimed. “That dude will make a play when his number is called. But when his number is not called, when he’s not the primary, when he’s not going deep, when he’s not the guy that you’re targeting, that dude is basically running his own slow-motion film.”

He added, “That dude has no interest in the love of the game; that dude has no interest in running the routes that open up his teammates. That dude, for me, is about as selfish a player as you watch on film any given day of the week.”

As a former offensive lineman, Mark Schlereth values the “unselfish” side of football. Pickens and his agent, David Mulugheta, who also represented Micah Parsons before Dallas traded him to Green Bay, want a long-term deal or a trade.

The Cowboys have shut both doors for now. On April 29, Pickens signed a $27.3 million franchise tag, making him the 15th highest-paid receiver for the 2026 season.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated predicts that if Pickens plays well and avoids discipline issues — such as missing the team bus and other wrongdoing that only adds to the reputation he brought from Pittsburgh– his next contract could top $40 million per year.

They are using this season to see whether he can remain consistent and professional before they commit to a massive nine-figure deal.