George Pickens has proven to be more than just a bargain for the Dallas Cowboys through 17 weeks, with only one game left in his first season within a new offense. But the most important matchup Pickens is preparing for won’t come on Sundays. It’s waiting in the offseason across the table from owner and general manager Jerry Jones, when contract extension talks inevitably surface.

Pickens, though, has already drawn a clear line. The fourth-year wide receiver isn’t planning to negotiate directly with Jones once free agency arrives. Instead, he’s handing the keys to his agent. A name Jerry Jones knows well: David Mulugheta.

“I definitely leave that type of stuff to my agent, because I let them talk the deals, and all that stuff,” Pickens recently said.

Which naturally raises the question: Will Jerry prefer working through the agent? Or will he try to speak directly with Pickens? Jones addressed that just days ago, and his answer was telling: “Probably both.” But most importantly, he still plans to talk with the receiver himself.

“I don’t know. We’ll see how it goes. Probably both, but I certainly expect to be speaking with George,” Jones said earlier this week on 105.3 The Fan.

Those words carry extra weight given what unfolded the last time Jones navigated an extension involving Mulugheta. Jones’ preference to negotiate directly with Micah Parsons, before looping in his agent, ultimately derailed talks last March. When Parsons later pushed for Mulugheta to finalize the deal, discussions stalled entirely, escalating into a late-August trade to Green Bay.

Parsons never intended to negotiate his own deal, but circumstances nudged him into it anyway. Jones initially asked Parsons to speak about leadership heading into the 2025 season. And during that conversation, contract numbers were exchanged directly.

However, Parsons felt that once figures were discussed, it was time to step back and let his agent handle the details. Jones saw it differently. From his perspective, an understanding had already been formed. And bringing an agent in afterward crossed a line. That disconnect eroded trust, fractured the relationship, and ultimately sent Parsons to the Green Bay Packers.

There’s no debating the Cowboys’ failure to extend Micah despite elite production. But somehow, Pickens’ situation feels different. For starters, he’s delivered in his first year with Dallas. He ranks third in the NFL in receiving yards (1,420), third in first-down receptions (73), and tied for third in catches of 25-plus yards (13) in 2025. He’s also tied for seventh in receiving touchdowns with a career-high nine, after totaling just 12 scores across his first three NFL seasons combined, earning his first Pro Bowl nod in the process.

And there’s also recent history to consider. Jerry successfully closed drawn-out deals with Dak Prescott (four years, $240 million) and CeeDee Lamb (four years, $136 million) in 2024. While letting Micah walk stunned the league just months ago, Dallas now expects Jones not to repeat that mistake, especially after Pickens posted the best season of his career.

That’s why Pickens plans to let his agent handle the extension. And why, Jerry, cautiously, seems open to working both angles. Meanwhile, as Pickens inches closer to his first major payday, he’s already getting advice from the one voice that matters most in the huddle: His quarterback.

Dak Prescott advised George Pickens not to let the contract talks get personal

George Pickens has made it clear that he’s “super prepared” for contract extension talks with Jerry Jones this offseason. And part of that preparation almost certainly includes a piece of advice from Dak Prescott, who knows better than most how negotiations with Jerry and Stephen Jones can unfold.

“I’ll give it [my advice] to George. One, just don’t let it get personal. At the end of the day, this is business. Both sides are going to want negotiations,” the quarterback said. “Honestly, mine and Jerry’s weren’t pretty at all, right? I wasn’t talking to him for some time. I remember I went and signed, and he told me that ‘when two sides are trying to agree, you’re not going to want to see each other’s differences. Or you can’t see each other’s differences.'”

Prescott has been through this road twice. And neither journey was smooth. He was hit with two franchise tags before finally signing a four-year, $160 million deal in 2021, a process that drew heavy criticism toward Jerry and his negotiating style at the time.

Top Stories

NFL Makes Final Punishment Decision on Shedeur Sanders Incident in Week 17

Chiefs Coach Abruptly Leaves Andy Reid’s Staff Amid Titans’ Rumored Interest in Matt Nagy

Jerry Jones Finally Acknowledges the Dak Prescott Gamble Hasn’t Paid Off; Confirms Painful Changes Ahead for Cowboys

NFL Announces Double Punishment on Incidents Against Josh Allen’s Bills

Sources: John Harbaugh-Lamar Jackson Rift Growing as Ravens HC Could Exit in 2026; Plus Mike Tomlin Update

Fast forward to 2024, and Prescott landed a four-year, $240 million extension, becoming the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL. But looking back, one thing stands out: Prescott avoided getting pulled into direct money talks. He let his agent, Todd France, handle that side of the deal. And it paid off.

That blueprint looms large for Pickens as well. If Dallas fails to reach a long-term agreement, the franchise tag remains an option, a one-year commitment projected around $28 million. But with 12 wide receivers already earning more than that annually, league expectations suggest a new deal would likely push north of $30 million per season. CBS Sports’ Joel Corry has even projected Pickens’ next contract to land in the range of DK Metcalf’s four-year, $132 million extension.

That’s exactly why Prescott’s message to George Pickens is simple: keep emotions out of it. Let it stay business. Now, with another high-stakes contract looming in Dallas, all eyes turn to 2026 to see how the next negotiation saga unfolds.