Stephen A. Smith has a verdict on George Pickens, and it arrives with the Nov. 10 trade deadline approaching. On ESPN’s “First Take,” Smith said the Dallas Cowboys should trade him rather than pay him.
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His objection is not to the player; he has called Pickens “a stud.” The case begins with money. Pickens is playing 2026 on a fully guaranteed $27.3 million franchise tag after Dallas shut down long-term talks in April, and Spotrac projects his next contract at four years and $138.3 million.
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“You have to trade him. Here’s the reason why. He’s going to cost you at least $30 million, if not $36 million. You’re talking about the combination of him and CeeDee Lamb costing you anywhere from $66 to $72 million. And they have clearly shown you this year alone with the both of them being who they are, that it’s not enough for the Dallas Cowboys to win football games. You have to ultimately adopt a winning formula.”
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Smith‘s top-end estimate runs high: Lamb averages $34 million on his four-year, $136 million extension, so a Pickens deal worth $30 million to $36 million would put the pair at $64 million to $70 million. The record backs him. Dallas is 3-5 after blowing a 24-10 fourth-quarter lead in a 33-30 overtime loss to Arizona.
“We just saw the Chicago Bears, even though it was for a defensive tackle, give up two first round picks for Jeffery Simmons. The bottom line is that who knows what you can get for George Pickens. You have to entertain that if you are the Dallas Cowboys, since with him, you’re still losing football games.”
The Cowboys’ front office has remained firm on George Pickens’ future for months. However, Jerry Jones offered a slightly different perspective on October 21, leaving the door open to a potential trade if the Cowboys received an offer comparable to the package they received for Micah Parsons.
Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones, when asked if they will consider selling before the trade deadline, said:
“Guys, we’re looking at getting better this week. We got a big game against the Colts and that’s what we’re focused on.”
Despite remaining productive, Pickens has struggled to consistently earn a prominent role in the offense. He currently ranks 15th in the NFL with 533 receiving yards, but was targeted just four times against Arizona, compared to CeeDee Lamb’s 11. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer has also indicated that he expects more from Pickens as a run blocker, while Dak Prescott offered little clarity on the receiver’s limited involvement, saying, “If I had the answer, we’d get him involved.”
What the Cowboys Gain by Trading George Pickens
Draft capital is the obvious return. Dallas holds four picks in the 2027 draft, one of them a first-rounder from the Parsons trade. Trading Pickens would also clear the $27.3 million tag and the $30-million-plus commitment behind it, money that could fund an extension for cornerback Joey Porter Jr.
Timing limits the haul. A team acquiring Pickens now could not negotiate an extension with him until after the season, capping the price for a player on an expiring deal. Waiting until spring, tagging him again above $32 million, and trading him then would let a buyer extend him first and send back more.
Edited by Aman Kashyap
