Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens is not the perfect player.
He probably never will, given his penchant for waking up late and being tardy.
His greatness as a receiver, however, is unquestioned.
What’s also true is that owner Jerry Jones says Pickens has been the best player in training camp.
And what they know now that they didn’t know before they acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers before the 2025 with all kinds of red flags was how good a teammate he was.
He is energetic. He is fiery. He is inspirational.
And, according to the top of the Cowboys food chain, he is player they want around the organization for years to come.
That sentiment doesn’t seemingly jive with the Cowboys actions since the end of the 2025 campaign when Pickens fashioned the finest season of his career, reeling in 93 catches for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns, to lead the team in all three categories while make All-Pro for the first time.
Instead of it being a spring board to a long-term contract extension that would pay him among the top players in the NFL, which Pickens desires, the Cowboys slapped the franchise tag on him and refused to negotiate.
Their message was simple, direct and biting: Do it again and we will see after the season.
It’s Pickens response to the message that has the Cowboys most excited and encouraged.
Instead of holding out, he signed his tag and showed up to minicamp and training camp.
Instead of pouting or doing a hold in, he has not only be present for every practice but he has been the best player in camp, in their view, better then quarterback Dak Prescott, better than fellow star receiver CeeDee Lamb and better then standout defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.
Prescott said Pickens loves the game, playing and practicing almost as much he does. And it’s exhibited daily in practice.
He plays the joy of a kid.
His sprints to the end zone and celebrations after player put a charge in his temmates.
He also brings an edge and fire to the Cowboys, similar to Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin on those Super Bowl title teams of the 1990s.
Interestingly enough, Williams just received a record-breaking three-year contract extension from the Cowboys.
He got something in less than a year with the team that Pickens didn’t get.
Two different players and two different situations, the Cowboys say.
What’s also true is that Pickens in headed in the right direction toward being rewarded like Williams.
Maybe, just maybe, how the Cowboys handled the situation with Pickens is fostering the kind of results that will benefit both sides from years to come.
The Cowboys are getting a dominant receiver to help power an offense that could be the linchpin to a Super Bowl appearance, maybe even a title, for the first time since the 1995 season.
And if that happens, Pickens will get paid in spades, considering the highest paid receivers make $42 and $40 million annually in Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njiba and Cincinnati’s Jamar Chase.
And if that means he will get more than Lamb, who is making $34 million annually, it’s all good with the Cowboys.
Lamb is rooting for it to happen.
Pickens has had that kind of effect.